138 REPORT— 1872. 



Analyses of Samples of Charcoal from Stoke Uuion Workhouse. 



"With regard to the analyses, the Committee -would observe, iu the first 

 place, that the se-wage treated -vfas excessively strong, coutaining no less 

 than 38-45 parts of nitrogen (iu solution and suspension) in 100,000 parts of 

 sewage ; this is accounted for by the very scanty water-supply, from which 

 it results that the amount of sewage is only 6| gallons per head in the 

 twenty-four hours, 



Tlio general result of the process is that the suspended matters are 

 removed and the ammonia and organic nitrogen much reduced in quantity ; 

 no oxidation takes place, as no nitrates were found in the effluent water, 

 which was to all rutents and purposes a dilute sewage and " had a strong 

 smell of sewage." 



It is remarkable that the chlorine is reduced to just about half its original 

 amount ; and it is stiU more remarkable that this should take place almost 

 entirely in the first or foecal tank : this reduction would seem to imply that 

 a very considerable dilution must in some way take place ; and notwith- 

 sta nding this we find that there were only 2000 gallons of effluent water to 

 ,50 00 gallons of sewage in the twenty-four hours, indicating an unexplained 

 escape of three fifths of the total amount, even supposing that there was 

 no dilution. 



The amourit of water absorbed by the charcoal, although, as indicated by 

 the analyses, considerable, does not of course in any appreciable degree 

 account for such a loss. 



Section il, — Deodorlzaiion of Sewage and precipitation of Solid Matter, and 

 conversion of Solids into Cement, at Ealing, 



The district of the Local Board of Health of Eahng contains 1222 acres, 

 and is situated near the river Thames, into vdiich it drains, the sewer out- 

 let being into a small watercourse about a mile from that river. The Eoard 

 has executed a complete system of sewerage, and water-closets are general 

 in the district. The population is about 8000, and the ordinary' or dry- 

 weather quantity of sewage discharged 400,000 gallons daily. The first 

 system for the deodorization of the sewage was that proposed by the Sur- 

 ■y-eyor to the Board (Mr. Jones), and consisted in bringing the sewage to two 

 ingeniously constructed depositing-tanks, where it subsided, and the super- 

 ■liatant water was then passed upwards through 7 feet of filtering media, the 

 solid deposit being mixed with ashes, dust, &c., and sold for manure. 



In 1868 and 1869 the Rivers Pollution Commissioners made an exami- 

 nation of tbis process, and they very carefully inquired into the various 



