DRAINAGE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 546, 1 March 1913, Page 6

DRAINAGE.

The Editor. Sir,—"Dr Makgill, district health officer, wroto stating that it Was advisable the effluent ' from the septic tank should be discharged directly into thn stream, but the school authorities should be warned to prevent school children playing about the river." The above is the report of Dr Makgill on Te Kuiti septic tank outlet, and it makes fine reading when considered in its many bearings on the well-being of Te Kuiti and its inhabitants. It has always been generally held that the last outlet liquid from a septic tank is absolutely pure, but the suggestion of the doctor does not bear this out, or why should the children be kept away from the river? And if it is so contaminating (and there is no doubt it is) then why should it be allowed access to the river at all, especially at such a place—quite close to our public school,—and for all time be a source of spreading disease among the children. Mr Power and the school children have been to great trouble to get the river bank in order and well planted and laid out, making it in a very short time a beauty spot instead of a wilderness of blackberry and gorse. This same river bank will in a few years be a great asset to the school in the matter of shade alone for the chilrden durine the very hot summers and now this mandate goes forth annulling all their labour. Then, again, what about the efforts of '.he Acclimatisation Society in stocking the river with trout? If I mistake not, they will have something- to say on the matter. Seeing that Te Kuiti is built on a bed of pumice of great depth, surely it would have been possible to have used this as an absorbent and kept clear of the river. Trusting the foregoing remarks may awaken some public interest in the matter.—l am, etc., S. THOMAS.