A SEWERAGE SCHEME.

Shannon News, 2 June 1924, Page 3

A SEWERAGE SCHEME.

SHANNON DEPUTATION VISITS

PIGTOxN

At Tuesday night's meeting of tno Shannon Boiougfi Cuuncii a report was received ironi the committee appointed by tile couueii -U) visit I’ictoa to inspect the Neilson-Montgum-erie system ei sewerage which is working in tai at town. The committee, which consisted of Crs. Gardner, But? and Gunning, reported as ioiiows At tlie request of die Borough Council we left Slnumon by the last train on ..Wednesday, last reaching Picton the same evening, where, they were met at the wharf ny Cr. Ryan and the town clerk (Mr Blizzard), to whom we are indebted' lor courtesy shown and information given us during our stay. On tlie way to the hotel we were taken •to the tank, which is situated on the foreshore witiiin a lew chains of the .principal hotel. We noted that the effluent flowing away was clear and nor offensive smelt could he detected. Before dealing with the new tank we would like to place , before title Council a lew laet-s concerning tlie old septic tank, wliich was put in at a cost ol £2200. Tenders were called but tlie lowest tender was £'2500 and tlie,work was done by day labour at a saving.' of £3OO. This dealt with the inner area ol tlie town or" that part of the town that could be drained by gravitatiiion. This;-tank was used lor between 13 and 15 ye-aps and it seemed .that '©very one quite agreed, that (the tank . was satisfactory, it beiiig cleaned out only* once during mat time. The action of the saltwater, however, had cracked it and it wag .taken out arid a new tank put in under the Neifsou Montgomery system. We inspected this tank and iound very litUe sineli, it .being a. sealed tank. Ol course there can bo very little smell from, it. Cr. llyan came down in the morn*' ing and. opened the manholes and tlie smeii was nut very; great, die water or effluent was tuuiy clear and very little smell. When this tank was put in a iurther' drainage scheme was constructed at. a cost ox £22,00U, including three ejectors at a cost of £2OOO, hut what made me cost so great was tlie' great engineering dimcuiiy met wiitn, many parts od the pipes being 16 met below sea ievei. 11 these difficulties had nut heen met with, they think the cost would have been between £IO,OOO aim £12,000. lieturning to tlie tank, the truuble is and wnat we think would make it uusti.tahle lor our purpose, as .the foreman put it, ithat tine tank acts as a slra't cr or in other words acts as a flirty aim runs tin; watery part off fairly clear, blit .'leaves the solids behind, widen have to be cleaned • out frequently. The foreman says n cannut possibly be left for more than three montiis at - tlie most. He said ]< smells bad when this is being done. They ihavung tlie tank on me sea iront, it can, he says, with a southeasterly wind and wneu tlie tide is running out, be cleaned out without being an incpnvenience to the. tovvnpeopie, hut -oil mr account cotud it- he cleaned when the wind was blowing tdvvfurds the town. We think as we have only'die creek to put. n in aim die frequency, with which it has to he cleaned out that it would uu quite unsuitable lor oiur purpose. Unfortunately the circumstances of an inland town as shannon and a seaport are very dissimilar as regains me disposal of the stuuges in cleaning operations. At I‘rctun. a. pipe runs out into deep water and u tne plugs are taken out .when the tanks require cleaning at die tune ol die tide going out it is a simple operation. In 1 die case oi an inland town like, Shannon it would negd either a Ultor bed properly laid down or die sludge to be caned away, wiiiioh. in the latter case would prove expensive

and yanobjectionable job. We were

unable to aaceituiiV t-iic condition 01 ' the sludge'as regards Pic ion as tliej- , have no necessity Oil iHUidiing • it. n ■ there is a..case oi tire system being in use in an inland town m .New Zealand some valuable v'luurniaUon could be gained on tlie above points. VVe certainly have gained j some- information as to tlie necessity oi caution in committing our ratepayers to any scheme without, exercising every care and tlie consideration oi every scheme that may be suggested. Cr. Garter said that, on hearing the report, he did not think trie - system was suitable for shannon, - owing to the difficulty in cleaning out die lank, which had to be done at least every three months. And as Shannon had only tlie. creek to put it in, it would be quite unsuitable. Asked vvliat rate had been struck for the. system in /pieton Cr. .Gunning replied tnait those on die low. > ii-wh were- paying 4-id in the £. Cr. Gunning stated that- the trouble in Pieton was that hum the lower levels it had to be pumped up J(> feet tor the centre •ofl'lie town." Auuilier 'trouble was tliat the ejectors' got Mocked with rags and as a <:esulL the supply pipes get blocked and they over How on tlie low levels. , As \ regards tile tank there is no -smell and the effluent flowing a-way. is clear. He did not think the system had had a fair chance. in reply to a question Cr. Gunning said that 11 square yards ol filter bed was required for 100 people. It. was the sludge that had to he contended with.

•The Engineer (Mr Edwards) said the ordinary septic tank was only cleaned out every two years, lie congratulated the councillors on their excellent report of tlie scheme, as he had received as, private one, which was exactly the same. To say the sludge was useful jis a fertilizer was nouseh.se. The best experts 'in the

world had stated it was useless. He

would submit, to. the Council eoni- , proirensive reports of the latest systems adopted in England. He stated there was no smell' in the tank as no putrifaotion was set up, but if left' 1 long enough to ferment to get. rid of the solids they would have a smell.' The Mayor isaid the councillors \vere to. be congratulated for their commonsense-research on the matter. After' reading the report he felt, that on a‘ matter, of this kind they had got to listen to scientific men who had

made it their life work. It. was right to have an open mind and give it every consideration, hut fie was convinced ihe system was not. a suitable one for shannon.

Cr. Murray said it was gratifying to the Cnuno.il to have a personal report to go by. Or/■ Gunning said any system that came before the Council would have to he considered carefully. Bu,t pumping was -out of all question. If was then decided, on the motion .of Or. Carter, to no longer consider installing in Shannon the sewerage system, above referred to. *

On the motion -of tlie Mayor a hearty -vote ■of thanks was accorded Crs. Gardner, Gunning and Butt for their able work gat, Pieton and the report they brought back. The town clerk was also instructed to convey to Mr Blizzard, town clerk at Picto.i the Council's thanks for the courtesy shown by him to the visiting councillors, (