UTILIZATION OF SEWAGE. 41 



since 1872, the council has furnished a hirge amount of 

 money. These efforts have had as a result the great and 

 actual demonstration at Gennevilliers, which evidence im- 

 presses favorably all unprejudiced persons who take the 

 trouble to visit the lands. 



After some experimental cultivation at Clichy in 1867 and 

 1868 the irrigation of the plains of Gennevilliers was begun 

 in 1869 by Messrs. Mille and Durand-Claye. In 1870 and 

 1872 the territory comprised but a few hectares. It has 

 increased each year, until now over 500 hectares are thus 

 employed (about 1,200 acres, which receive nearly one-fourth 

 the sewage of the city). In the beginning the water dis- 

 tributed was limited to a few thousand cubic metres. In 

 1872 444-,000,000 gallons were used. In 1881 4,685,000,000 

 gallons were discharged on the land. In May of this year 

 (1881) 684,300,000 gallons— 22,050,000 gallons per day, 

 or 44,100 gallons per hectare per day — these plains ab- 

 sorbed. In 1882, at the time of the report, the distribution 

 reached 34,020,000 gallons per day, or 79,300 gallons per 

 hectare, which represents a sheet of water spread over the 

 surface equal to a little over one inch per day. 



Early in the establishment of the Gennevilliers farms an 

 unfortunate accident occurred, which proved very expensive 

 to the city of Paris and greatly retarded the progress of the 

 S3'stem both at Paris and throughout the w^orld — for the 

 story, with gross exaggeration, rapidly spread. The diffi- 

 culty was caused, reports the commission, by the engineers 

 relying too much on the very great permeability of the soil, 

 and not thinking it necessary to subsoil drain the land. 

 An excessive irrigation resulted in overflowing the territory, 

 filling cellars and rendering useless a few gravel quarries. 

 This was sufficient excuse for excessive damages to be 

 claimed of so rich a victim as the city of Paris. Some were 

 compromised, others were resisted in the courts at great 

 expense. In the mean time the surface drains were taken 

 up, having been found unnecessary, and deep subsoil drains 

 for the effluent water were laid, which completely obviated 

 the difficulty ; and the community, frightened lest its de- 

 mands and outcries should cause the withdrawal of the 



