THE SEWERACE SCHEME.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11863, 29 May 1909, Page 5

THE SEWERACE SCHEME.

THE SEPTIC TANK SYSTEM. The warm support given to Mr Mar chant's sewerage scheme by men able tc wpeak from practical knowledge and by other prominent townsmen, has naturally tended to arouse even greater interest in a subject on which the future welfare of the town greatily depends. A local business man, Mr V; Hooper, Who^ *»*as in Masterton wheri the septic tank extern was installed, and whose inter «sts in the towri, of course, made the success or otherwise of tlie scheme a matter of concern to him, 'states that ' ■ from what he has seen . of the working of the system he has ho doubt whatever that it would prove successful in j Gisborne. There were troubles at Masjterton at the outset, but they had nothing to do with the principle, although it is essential to have capable engineering supervision in the construction. of the tanks, die trouble with, Masterton was in tackiing both water andl drainage with too small a margin in, the ahiount of the loan raised, making it; necessary to 'return to\tbe ratepayers for authority toraise a further loan.- Some 'defects werefound in the working of the tank, luid these gavev rise to a. warm' controversy until the cause was discovered. It appeared that there was. too much fluid going in, arid at first 'it was thought that people inust be turning their hoses into ths pipes. Finally .. it was found that there was a leak in the mains, and the joint at which the leak occurred having been sealed up, the trouble was overcome, the lank' thereafter proving, most satisfactory. All house slops (including bath water), in addition to the other sewage^ are- conveyed to the re^, ceptacle.v The: effluent is' of a : brownish color, and when liberated into a running stream, the discoloration soon disappears. In Masterton the stream into 'which the effluent is cOnveyeoj T i^ lower down-,- for dairying and other stock to drink from, and no one "offers, any objection thereto, it being considered* that the water has : riot been contaminated in any* way. If any objection could be raised; in Masterton, undier tlie. conditions .existing there, Mr Hooper thinks that v none couldybe made in Gisborrie with the open sea- front available. With tlie proposed double compartment in the tank, the safeguards would be increased, arid judging from what be has already seen, Mtr Hooper is ; 'opinion that 'the people of Gisborne need have no hesitation in accepting the scheme as proposed by Mr Mnrchant. In regard to connections, Jffry Hooper stiates that the Svstem adopted at Masterton was, for the Council to advance the amount required in the^caseof people not able to pay in a lump sum. and the money so advanced was repaid in instalments "extending- over a- reasonable term. Tlie surface drainage, Mr Hooper explained, w&s not allowed to run into the tank, but; it would not pay to have a sewer scheme ior getting rid of surface water that could be dealt with cheaply in other ways if necessary. : ■ '