SEWAGE IRRIGATION. 



A SCIENTIFIC ESSAY ON THE SUBJECT. 



REPORT OF G. A. RENE, M. D. 



To silence the objections of those who were opposed to the use of 

 sewage water for irrigation purposes, in San Bernardino County, 

 Cal., the county health officer, Dr. Ren6, made a report on the sub- 

 ject, claiming that with proper precautions its use was not detri- 

 mental to health. The Citrograph (Redlands) publishes the report in 

 full. His remarks were concerning the use of the sewage from the 

 city of Redlands, Cal., but the conclusions obtained may be applied to 

 the use of sewage from any city. We give it as follows: 



To begin, I will say that I would consider it the height of folly, 

 during this perilously dry season, to throw aside the use of a stream 

 of water, sufficient to irrigate from eighty to a hundred acres, with- 

 out well founded reasons. Every broad-minded person ought, in an 

 emergency like this, to discard all old-fashioned prejudices and be 

 guided only by common sense and good will toward his fellow men. 



There can be but one possible objection to the use of this water, 

 and that is, that it would interfere with the health of other people. 

 Allow me to express my opinion about this. 



During the last twenty years the question, how best to dispose of 

 the sewage of cities, has occupied some of the best minds. The re- 

 sult has been that many new truths have been evolved, and many old 

 beliefs have been exploded. I cannot enlarge upon this interesting 

 subject on account of the narrow compass of this paper. I will only 

 state that it is now acknowledged, beyond dispute, that the best way 

 to dispose of the sewage of cities is by irrigating and fertilizing the 

 land. This has been so universally conceded that it may well be con- 

 sidered a res adjudicata. (See irrigation papers of the United States 

 Geological Survey, No. 3, page 48.) 



Of course, certain precautions have to be taken. The most im- 

 portant are filtration, conveyance of the sewage in pipes, and the 

 spreading 'of it over a large enough area of land. Also, sewage 

 ought never to stand still, at least not in the open. I understand 

 that all these precautions will be taken. Hundreds and hundreds of 

 cities in Europe and the east now dispose of their sewage in this 

 manner. 



The most important agencies which nature employs to protect 

 life are the soil, the air, and sunlight. The first quickly nitrogenizes 

 organic matter and converts it into plant-food. On the other hand, 



