Sessional_Paper_1890 — Page 259

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REPORT

255

No. 128.

90.

ON THE

DRAINAGE OF THE LOWER WESTERN AND CENTRAL DISTRICT OF VICTORIA,

SIR,

The area the drainage of which, I now propose to discuss, is the zone between the Harbour and Caine Road, bounded to the west by Slaughter-house Point, and to the east by the Cricket Ground. It includes

District No. 1 Shektongtsui

No. 2 Sei Ying Poon

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No. 3 Taipingshan

*

No. 4 Cheung Wan

No. 5 Choon Wan.

It therefore contains the bulk of the Chinese population.

2. In a previous report, it was recommended that the sewerage-system of the High-level District should be completely distinct from that of the lower districts.

The problem now to be solved is :-

(a.) The removal of the sewage from the lower zone, with the rain which

falls upon it;

it; to the sea.

(b.) The conveyance of storm-waters from the hill-sides above, through

the district, to the sea.

3. The present arrangements for the sewage and storm-water of this district are practically those described in my report of 1882.

Briefly, the practice has been to cover in natural storm-water channels and connect to them branch-drains, conveying both sewage and storm-water.

In many cases both main and lateral drains are in very bad condition.

4. In the report on the sewerage of the high level district the objections to the use of storm-water channels for the conveyance of sewage, were fully set forth. These objections apply with even greater force in the case of the low-level district, where, in many places, the storm-water channels are nearly level and accumulate, not only sewer-tainted air, but also sewage deposit.

5. The methods for the improvement of the drainage of this; and other districts, suggested in my report of 1882, have not been tried. This is fortunate, for my subsequent experience leads to the conclusion that they would not have remedied, completely, the evils which existed then; and which exist still.

6. As regards the construction of the branch-sewers no appreciable improvement has taken place. With a few exceptions, any extensions that have been carried out, have been made upon no definite principle. It will now be necessary to re-sewer the whole district with earthenware pipes; and to divert the sewage proper, or dry- weather-flow of the sewers from the storm-water channels, which are not; and cannot be made suitable for its reception. The existing stone-channels therefore, should revert to their legitimate use, the conveyance of storm-water from the surface of the district, and from the bills above it.

7. The first question that must be discussed is the number and position of the sewer out-falls. Now the sea must be the ultimate receptacle for the sewage of Victoria. When the system of self-cleansing sewers is complete, the sewage will be delivered into the harbour fresh, before putrifaction has commenced, assuming always that the house-drains are in order. In this condition, sewage is com- paratively inoffensive, and is readily consumed by marine organisms, great and

small.