II OF THE *^^ 



OF 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Objects of 



Royal 



Commission. 



The sitting Royal Commis- 

 sion on Sewage Disposal was ap- 

 pointed in May, 1898, "to in- 

 quire and report I. (1) What 

 method or methods of treating and disposing of 

 sewage (including any liquid from any factory or 

 manufacturing process) may properly be adopted, 

 consistently with due regard for the requirements 

 of the existing law, for the protection of the public 

 health, and for the economical and efficient dis- 

 charge of the duties of local authorities; and (2) 

 if more than one method may be so adopted, by 

 what rules, in relation to the nature or volume 

 of sewage, or the population to be served, or other 

 varying circumstances or requirements, should the 

 particular method of treatment and disposal to 

 be adopted be determined; and II. To make any 

 recommendations which may be deemed desirable 

 with reference to the treatment and disposal of 

 sewage." 



In this series of articles the 

 of Articles reports (Fourth Report, vol. iv., 



Parts I. to IV., 1904) to the 

 commission by their specially appointed officers 

 are, as the title indicates, my main consideration. 

 As the investigations, however, on the eight 

 selected typical sewage farms were concluded some 

 time ago I have endeavoured to ascertain what 

 alterations have been made, are in progress, or are 

 proposed. The evidence of the witnesses exam- 

 ined by the commission has been drawn on, as 

 also one or two outside sources. Special note must 

 be made of the fact that the matters dealt with 

 have not yet been reported on by the commissioners 

 themselves. The introductory matter will be found 

 arranged as follows: Historical Summary; Land — 

 Suitable and Unsuitable ; Lines of Inquiry ; Terms 

 Employed — Change of; Distance from Town— Ad- 

 vantages and Disadvantages ; Surplus Area — Value 

 of ; Separate (Partially) System — Advantages 

 and Disadvantages; Management; Mechanical 



Analysis; Chemical Analysis and Standards; and 

 Bacteriological Analysis and Standards. 



Historical 

 Summary. 



To trace the historical de- 

 velopment of sewage disposal 

 would be an interesting study, 

 but as it is not my immediate subject I will 

 merely indicate the views and practices that have 

 prevailed at various times — the evidence given to 

 the commission, June 22, 1898, by Mr. A. D. 

 Adrian, c.b., Assistant Secretary to the Local Gov- 

 ernment Board, is replete with information on this 

 topic. From 1842 to 1857 the prompt removal 

 of sewage from the neighbourhood of dwellings 

 was advocated; the discharge of foul matters into 

 rivers was counselled; and the opinion obtained 

 that the irrigation of extensive areas with sewage 

 might be injurious to health. Later (1858-70) 

 irrigation was adopted, and the views were held 

 that the utilisation of sewage on land and the 

 preparation of manure by means of chemical pre- 

 cipitation would both prove to be profitable. The 

 first Sewage Commission reported in 1865, after 

 eight years' labours, that " The right way to dis- 

 pose of town sewage is to apply it continuously 

 to land, and it is only by such application that 

 the pollution of rivers can be avoided." From 1871 

 onward intermittent filtration, broad irrigation, 

 and chemical precipitation were in vogue (and 

 are, of course, still in use), and a further commis- 

 sion reporting in 1874 classified them with regard 

 to success in the order given above. Further, the 

 commission appointed to inquire into the discharge 

 of sewage by the Metropolitan Board of Works 

 (Thames) reported in November, 1884, that the 

 liquid separated by chemical precipitation " would 

 not be sufficiently free from noxious matters to 

 allow of its being discharged at the present out- 

 falls as a permanent measure. It would require 

 further purification, and this, according to the 

 present state of knowledge, can only be done 



