A SEWERAGE SCHEME.

Shannon News, 21 November 1924, Page 3

A SEWERAGE SCHEME.

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS TO RE GALLED,

A special meeting of the Shannon iiorougn Council was held on Tuesuuy eveiimg to .receive, a report from uie Engineer (Mr R. Edwards) on a sewerage scheme lor Shannon. present—The Mayor (Mr W. Murdoch) and cis. butt, Hyde., Gardner, Murray, curran and Gunning. The Engineer submitted a lengtny report ■on a. scheme wnich would include in the meantime that portion of the town where the buildings are close together and such portion as are actually necessary tq keep the town in a healthy state. He pointed out that to attempt to put a sewer in every street would not be. practical owing to the scattered nature of the sites of the residences, the cost or which to the ratepayers would be far too great a burden for them to bear; it being in the vicinity of £30,000. The scneme as submitted he estimated tq cost approximately £7OOO. He advocated putting in a tank of sufficient size which later on would be able to deal with the whole .Borough and recommejnded that the latest sludge plant for the treatment or sewage, be. installed—the activated sludge process, which has many great advantages enabling it to approach that perfection which is claimed lor it by its inventors, the chief of these being as follows:—(1) The purification is. rapid and perfect and the effluent fully oxidized, (2) putrefaction stops at qnce, and the system is free from smells and flies, (3) the plant can be installed close to buildings, (4) an inoffensive, sludge which is a valuable manure is obtained, (5) ! only a small area, of land is required, (6) there is practically no loss oi head and the sludge is raised auto-1 matically, (7) it will require at least i one skilled attendant, (8) mainten- J aii-ce costs are low owing to the reve-1 hue which may -be obtained by the j sale qf manure.. There are no real, disadvantages in the. system except possibly the. need fqr the production of compressed air, which is essential for the working and which would necessitate the continual running of an electric motor for the purpose of \ pumping air through the. sewerage in the septic tanks to enable, it tq decompose quickly. The services of a skilled man would be required to attend to it and clear out the sludge. i

A general discussion by the coun--eillors followed as to the cost of the scheme and the rate it would be necessary to strike. It was pointed out aiat'it would be necessary tq strike a rate of Id in the. ill if the scheme as submitted was gone on with, while a rate of approximately 4d in the £1 would have to be struck to carry out a sewerage scheme to coyer the whole of the Borough. Councillors were unanimous in their opinion that tne cost of such a system as submitted by the Engineer was too high for the portion ojf the Borough that would ibe feerved. The Council recognised the urgent necessity of something being done 4n respect to sewerage in the closely populated area and on the motion ol the Mayor it was decided to call a meeting of those, ratepayers interested %n sewerage for the congested area tq discuss the. matter.