Water closets versus privies, practically considered in reference to Manchester and Salford : being the substance of a paper read before the Manchester and Salford Saniatry Association, January 29, 1869 / by John Newton.

  • Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Water closets versus privies, practically considered in reference to Manchester and Salford : being the substance of a paper read before the Manchester and Salford Saniatry Association, January 29, 1869 / by John Newton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Sewage is thus supplied in many places. At Edinburgh, 400 acres are irrigated with the sewage from about 125,000 of the population. This area is too limited, and much of the sewage is consequently passed by unutilized; but the land operated upon is rendered worth X27 per acre per annum, other lands in the immediate locality, but not irrigated, being worth from <£3 to £4 per acre only. The increase represents Is. 9d. per head of population contributing, and it is highly probable, that if treble the present area were irrigated, treble the re¬ sult in money value would be produced. Croydon may also be instanced as another well-known example. In this case, the authorities v/ere compelled to divert the sewage from the river Waodle, and ac¬ cordingly they leased 250 acres of land, upon which it could be purified. The result has been an increase in the value of the land, from £2 to £25 per acre, the increase representing 5s. per individual contributing. Many other examples might be adduced to show the profitableness of this mode of utilizing town sewage. In no case has it failed, and in no instance, when jndiciously applied, has the land irrigated given off offensive exhalations. The entire sewage of Manchester, Salford, and all the towns in the Irwell valley, comprising a population of 1,000,000, might be utilized upon Chat Moss and other lands lying westward, as far as Clazebrook. Probably, 7,500 acres would be sufficient for the purpose, but 5,000 acres additional could be obtained if necessary. No doubt, in the wet and swampy condition in which some portions of these lands now lie, it would be folly to add more liquid, but, if thoroughly drained and marled, there is no reason why they should not be rendered as pro- _ ♦ ductive as the Edinburgh and Croydon meadows. Peat, moreover, is an excellent deodorizer. It was not my intention, in the first instance, to dwell upon the subject of sewage utilization. I have, however, alluded to it very briefly, with the view of showing that the adoption of water-closets in lieu of privies would result in a great pecuniary benefit to the community. Instead of the night-soil of Manchester realising, as at present, 2Jd. per head, or £4,000 per annum, it w^ould