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30
out involving the risk of offensive decomposition in the
river.
13. But having regard to the prospective increase
of London, with augmented excreinentitious matter and
diminishing water-supply, it must become imperative
to adopt efficient measures to lessen the concentration
of the sewage matter upon the Thames as a centre of
discharge.
14. One of the chief errors into which projectors
generally, and Intercepting Engineers have fallen, is
the adoption of the Procrustean principle of dealing
with the whole of the enormous, yet fluctuating masses
of London Sewage on one plan. It is a great evil to
concentrate sewage. The nuisance is immensely aggravated
by accumulation. The difficulty of dealing with
it is vastly increased. I refer, with confidence, to the
soundness of the principle laid down in my report
dated the 20th February last, namely, that of subdivision
of the sewage as opposed to concentration.
15. It appears to me that, even yet, no sufficient
examination bas been made into the varying local
peculiarities and facilities offered by the different
component parts of the Metropolis, for the disposal of
their sewage. It seems obvious that if the sewage of
any district can be dealt with separately, we diminish
pro tanto the pressure upon the central system converging