[Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Berkshire County Council.

  • Berkshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Berkshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    67/152 (page 67)
    The high level sewer takes the drainage from all west of Holman Leaze stream, except Cordwallis and North Town, and conveys it to the Sewer Works without pumping. The low level sewer takes the drainage from Cordwallis, North Town, and east of the Holman Leaze stream. This sewer enters a chamber at a depth of 20 feet at the Sewage Works from which the sewage is pumped into the precipitating tanks a distance of 30 feet. The Sewage Works are managed by a staff consisting of a manager and five men. It covers an area of about 37 acres. The method of treatment is as follows :— The crude sewage is first screened to remove the grosser contents, then it is run into precipitation tanks, of which there are three, each containing about 100,000 gallons, and treated with lime and alumina ferric. When settled it is run off and distributed by means of channels over a primary and then a secondary contact bed of breeze and clinker, from which it is drained into a stream flowing into the river Thames. A portion of twelve acres of land is retained for land ii rigation should the effluent from the beds not prove satisfactory, or if there is more than they can take. Excess of storm water is removed by a side outlet in the main sewers at the works, and treated by running over an acre and a half of sub-drained land. The quantity of sewage which passed through the sewage works during 191^ is stated by the Manager to be— Quantity of Sewage 170,146,000 gallons. Storm Water 15,860,000 Total ... 186,006,000 This gives an average of 31-9 gallons per head—or, omitting storm water, 29-1 gallons daily. House-refuse.—The estimated number of receptacles used for the storage of House-refuse is stated to be 223 fixed ashpits (not in combination with privies), 1041 moveable receptacles of galvanised iron with proper covers, and 727 others, such as pails, baths, boxes, etc. In connection with new houses, galvanised iron dustbins are required to be provided.