Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 554

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Definition of terms.

Sewage.

Surface wator.

Sub-soil water.

Sewer.

Street-sewer.

House-sewer.

Drain or

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It is to be observed that I do not make use of the word "Separate System" in these reports. My reasons for avoiding these words were, doubtless, that it had become, even then, a powerful irritant; but more so, because it is not practicable or desirable to introduce an absolute Separate System. A great deal of dry weather' surface-water, such as the washings of back-yards, is, to all intents and purposes, Sewage, and must, therefore, be admitted to the sewers. With it, some rain-water must also enter. The quantity of rain-water, thus admitted to the sewers, can, by proper arrangements, be reduced to an almost negligible quantity, so much so, that it is scarcely necessary to increase, materially, the size of the sewer-pipes to enable them to convey it, in addition to the sewage-proper.

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60. I find that, in the discussion of Sewerage and Drainage matters, confusion often arises, through the lax use of terms. People often speak of "sewers" when they mean storm-water drains,”

‚"and vice versâ. Again, the word "sewage " is often taken to mean human excrement, in contradiction to domestic slop-water, which is often but erroneously supposed to be an innocuous fluid, which, excreta being excluded, may be neglected, or dealt with in some elementary manner. Whereas it is a fact that only in a limited number of diseases, do fœces and urine contain pathogenic organisms, whereas slop-water may, and often does, contain not only those found in the excreta, but also those of almost every other zymotic disease. The but too current idea that, if excreta are removed, no more need be done, is therefore, the reverse of the truth.

In recent writings, I have found it desirable to define these expressions, and to give technical meanings to the several terms, perhaps not in strict accordance with the Dictionary or with English Acts of Parliament, but in accordance with the sense in which they are to be used, in discussing the subject.

Sewage means water, sullied, foul or contaminated with matter, in solution or suspension, derived from the use of water in the daily avocations of man, whether it contains fæces or urine, or not.

"Surface water" means rain-water, flowing off from the surface of the ground or from those of yards, roofs, and the like.

“Sub-soil water" is water which has been absorbed by the soil, and which is retained by, or percolating through its pores.

A "Sewer" is a pipe or conduit, used or intended to be used, for the reception and conveyance of Sewage as defined.

A "Street-sewer" is a sewer situated on Crown land, and which is the of the Crown.

property

A "House-sewer" is a sewer situated within a private tenement, which is the property of the owner of the tenement in question.

A "Drain or Storm-water channel" is a channel or conduit open or covered, storm-water used or intended to be used to receive and convey surface-water. Here the word

drain will include a "nullah.'

channel.

Sub-soil drain.

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A "Sub-soil drain" is a channel, conduit or pipe, used or intended to be used for the reception and conveyance of sub-soil water.

The meanings of "Private drain" and "Private sub-soil drain" are obvious.. I shall use these terms throughout this report and any others that I may write, strictly in the sense of these definitions. I strongly recommend that they be used in the same sense, in all future documents. On reading over my old reports, I find that I have not always been as strict in my terminology, as is desirable. If, therefore, any are to be re-published, I should like to make the necessary corrections therein.

*According to a decision of an English Court, "Sewage" is anything which gets into a sewėr. if it gets into the sewer is sewage, which is absurd.

A silver spoon