74 SEWERAGE OF THE CAPE PENINSULA. 



It will be noted that Mr. Dunscombe provided for double 

 the existing population of 1891. Upon the same basis the 

 united populations of Woodstock, Mowbray, Rondebosch, 

 Claremont and Maitland would be twice 65,000, or 130,000. 

 Allowing- the same estimated cost per head, viz. : £3 12s. 8d., 

 the total estimated cost would amount to £472,333. ihis 

 estimate may or may not be sufficient for a practical and well- 

 considered scheme, but I am certainly not going to express a 

 definite opinion upon this point, as it would only be mere 

 guesswork to do so. Furthermore, I would add that no 

 engineer who values his professional reputation could give 

 any reliable or close estimate until such a careful and detailed 

 scheme was prepared which would necessarily involve a careful 

 contoured survey, and the preparation of all necessary plans, 

 sections, working drawings and specifications, etc. Assum- 

 ing that this amount were sufficient, the annual cost for interest 

 and redemption for a 40-years loan would be only £23,615 per 

 annum, or 3s. yhd. per head for the estimated population pro- 

 vided for. In addition to this there would of course be the 

 annual cost of maintenance and working expenses to provide 

 for, but this would not be a very serious item in a well- 

 designed scheme. 



It will, of course, be argued that a water-carriage system of 

 swerage cannot be constructed until a sufficient supply is 

 guaranteed for the municipalities in question. This is a sine 

 quo noil for the success of any sewerage scheme, and any 

 attempt to provide or construct such a scheme without adequate 

 supply of water would be to court certain failure and serious 

 danger to the public health. The supply of water for domest'.: 

 purposes should not be calculated at less than (an average for 

 white and coloured) 30 gals, per head per day, which would 

 mean a volume of 1,950,000 gals, per day for the present popu- 

 lation, gradually increasmg to 3,900,000 for the estimated 

 future population which the scheme should provide for. I am 

 not in a position to state definitely whether the above volumes 

 are at present available from the combined supplies of the 

 Peninsula, or whether it would be necessary first to increase 

 the existing supply, but it is obviously the bounden duty of 

 the unsewered Municipalities to ascertain their exact position 

 in this matter, and, if necessary, to take early and practical 

 action to ensure a sufficient supply. 



From recent reports of the Council meetings of these un- 

 sewered Municipalities, I have noticed that there is an effort 

 being made seriously to discuss this sewerage question, but it 

 has struck me as being very strange that the Municipality of 

 Maitland has never been invited to the suggested conferences. 

 Is Maitland to be ignored from a joint scheme and left to the 

 solution of its own sewage problems? If so. I think a ccrions 

 blunder will be committed, seeing that its position on the fore- 

 shore of Table Bay entitles it to have an important voice in the 

 question of the disposal of the sewage of the Cape Peninsula. 

 This naturallv brings one to the question of the best means 

 of sewering the areas to be dealt with and the best place and 



