A SEWAGE FARM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1682, 8 October 1887, Page 4

A SEWAGE FARM.

During the sitting of the Intercolonial Medical Congress at Adelaide about 50 members, the larger proportion of whom were members of the profession from the other colonies, paid a visit to the sewage farm. Owing to the wtst weather, things were seen at their worst, but all expressed themselves as highly pleased with what they saw. After Inspecting the place where the whole of the sewage matter from the city and these parts of the suburbs which are connected with the system la received and distributed over the land, and the whole system had been fully explained, the pariy visited the buildings m which the cattle are kept, the piggeries, and other buildings. The Adelaide "Observer" says:— "The sewage farm is situated about five miles north-east of the Adelaide post-office, and about 3i miles from the wi stern boundary of the city. It receives the drainage from waterclosets and tbe liquid filth from the homes m North and South Adelaide and p-.rta of the corporate towns of Hindmarsh, Thebarton, St. Peter, and Kensington and Norwood. It covers an area of about 470 acreß, of which morn than 250 acres are under cultivation. The estimated number of inhabitants m the towna drained ty the far.ns is 68,000, but at present only a small part of Kensington and N rw;od haa been oonnected. Taking the Adelaide Post Office as a starting point, the fall to tha boundary of the farm is 113 fact, and to the lowest part i of it 136 feet. The sewage is carried by '• gravitation, and it la calculated that soil '■ will pass from the centre of the oity to the ! boundary of the farm m from o_* to two ' hours. All the houses are pr t'd ed from the passage of sewer gas by properly con- 1 atrooted traps. The ventilation of tho ] streets and main sewers is effected partly by manholes opening at intervals Lto the ' centre of tee streets. It was found on trial that tbe original design for ventilators - was not effective, and lhi smell from the ventilators m soma parts of the city caused loud complaint. Tho evil was remedied by closing the. street ventilators and carrying op long ventilating pipes by the sides of houses m the course of the aewers. ' Blnoe this alteration no complaints have . been reoalved. On re*ching the farm the ' sewage Is strained first by iron gratings, ! which keep back tbe larger substances, - and afterwards by being passed through ! en immense revolving wheel, with meahes *t its circumference, which keep back all substances above £ inch m me. The >.l solid portion of the sewage (a ojJkoted m a carts and carried away for Immediate use t on the farm. The liquid poitlon, after A pssslng the straining house, is diitrlbuted li In troughs so arranged that the supply to n any part of the farm can be regulated at S will. The farm ia worked chiefly on the v Irrigation principle, the liquid being £ passed on to parts as reqalred !* A small part of the farm Is worked m £ 7i£!f ° VJ S _ W , tralion principle, the £ filtration beds being under-dralned, and _ the efflaent water being carried eff clear s and almost tasteless into the North Arm m %J'a VT nl L G ? ]t The fft ™ " S divided into paddocks for depasturing nc purposes, and for cultivation of Italian «" ryegrass, lucerne, mangolds, sorghum wheat, barley, vines, and wattles. " live stock on the farm may be * r ' t I m round numbers at 300 cow lhe 300 sheep, and 150 plgp •><■ down over expenditure m ... 20 horses, were last year ar> . The receipts tbesewagawo' 1 . working expenses The inter'- £900. The cost of *-d V* . _a has been about £361,000. C^ .at Is paid by rates on tho land ..uses to which the Bewers have been .fled. The Income is about £20,2)0, the working expenses are about £5800, leaving a balanca of about £14 000, or say 4 per cent on the outlay. The cost of connecting houees with the sewers is paid by the owners, but the Government will undertake the work when requested, and allow the cost to be paid by quarterly payments extending over 6 years. Interest at the rate of 5 per cent being paid on the balances. The water supply to the towns where the deep drainage is carried obtained from the Adelaide waterworks ; It is abundant, couttint, and unstinted for domestic use, It is the opinion of the hydraulio engineer that the refuse water from houses would be sufficient to cleanse the sewers, but it is the practice to occasionally resort to flushing from the waterpipes.