The Drainage of Melbourne. 

 By W. W. Culcheth, M.I.C.E. 



[Eead 13th October, 1881.] 



The present condition of the drainage of Melbourne and the 

 measures necessary for its improvement have attracted fresh 

 attention by the recent award of the Mayor's prize for the 

 best essay on the subject. The judges' selection of one essay, 

 as the best of those that were submitted, has met with 

 general approval ; but the decision has been misunderstood 

 as signifying approval of the scheme proposed, and it has 

 accordingly been suggested that it should be carried out 

 forthwith. It would be, however, very unwise to do this 

 before the proposals have been criticised, and public opinion 

 has had an opportunity of expressing itself on the subject. 

 The essay possesses many merits, but is too brief to be 

 entirely satisfactory; hence, perhaps, the proposals are liable 

 to be misunderstood. In this paper, it is intended to give a 

 brief outline of the scheme recommended by the essayists ; 

 then to point out some of the defects revealed by a careful 

 perusal of both the essay and plans. To dwell only on the 

 advantages of the scheme would not tend to call forth 

 additional particulars, which are much required. The time 

 allowed will not permit of the essay being thoroughly 

 examined ; its defects only can be considered just now. 

 Perhaps some of the defects are merely apparent, due to the 

 absence of detail ; but whether apparent or real, they need 

 to be explained or removed by further information. 



2. The drainage, as dealt with in the essay, may be classed 

 as follows : — 



(a) Subsoil water. 



(6) Surface drainage, consisting of — 



1. Rain water flowing off roofs, court-yards, and 

 the less populous thoroughfares. 



2. Ordinary winter rainfall in the streets where 

 there is heavy traffic, or a portion of the ordinary 

 drainage of such streets. This may be conveniently 

 called " street drainage." 



3. Flood water in excess of the ordinary rainfall. 

 (c) Waste water from houses or manufactories — 



1. That which is too offensive to be allowed to flow 



