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PANORAMIC VIEW OF TRICKLING FILTERS, COLUMBUS, OHIO 



The most oflicioiU dcvict' yet discoverecl for the purification of a city's sewage — stones 

 on which bacterial ^rrowih ina>- t;al licr and a rcfinlateil su|)|)ly of sewage in fine spray and 

 of air 



witli rciianl to lini'hor waters and on the other liand the \ai-ioiis (le\ices 

 w hieh may he used for the (Hsposal of city sewafi'e hy sanitary methods. 



When sewafi'e is (Hseharf>-ed in small \T)Iiime into a relati\-ely lar<ie body 

 of water the aim of all sewa.uc ])iirifieation is attained. The bacteria nor- 

 mally present in the water attack the organic matter and oxidize it, and at 

 the same time the typical sewaf^e bacteria, findinj;' themselves in an nn- 

 favorable environment, gfadnally die and disappear. In New ^'ork, 

 however, the pi-esent method of disposal by the haphazard discharge of 

 sewers into the waters of the rivers and harbor at the j)iers or bulkhead 

 lines, is manifestly unsatisfactory. The sewage oscillates back and forth 

 instead of passing j)romptly out to sea, and the local nuisances at certain 

 points are extreme. 



iiesides the fact that this brings about conditions oil'ensixc to the senses, 

 real danger to health is inx'oK'cd. The germs of typhoid and other infec- 

 tious disea.ses are always present in a city's waste, menacing the lives of 

 those to whom their contact is inevitable. For instanc<> all along the 

 waterfront, driftwood and other floating objects are picked out by the ])oor 

 and carried to their homes. In Jamaica Bay and neighboring waters shell- 

 fish are grown in close j)roximity to both jjublic and private sewers and while 

 some processes of cookery destroy the typhoid germs, others do not. The 

 greatest risk is run by bathing in the |)ollutc(l waters and in New ^ oi-k 

 several of the free floating baths maintained by the city are placed sulliciently 



143 



