View report page

185
sludge per week were, at that time, being carried to sea from
the outfalls. In a subsequent report, at the end of September,
it was stated by the Chemist to the Council that, during the
past summer, the river had been in a most satisfactory condition:
there was no discolouration of the water by sewage
matters or black mud; the foreshores had been clean; the
aeration of the water, moreover, had shown a marked increase,
the quantity of oxygen dissolved in the water being on one
occasion (last day of August), the maximum quantity possible
—these results being attributable to "no other cause than the
operations at the Council's sewage precipitation works," designed
and commenced by the late Metropolitan Board of
Works. It appears to be generally admitted that the improved
condition of the river has been maintained to the present
time, and that its condition is now better than it has been
for many years. Certainly, no complaints have been made in
regard to it during the present year to date, although the rainfall
has been scanty and the temperature high. The County
Council determined last year, on the recommendation of the
Main Drainage Committee, to try some experiments in application
of the sludge to land. There is plenty of low-lying
land on both sides of the river which might be raised with advantage.
The late Metropolitan Board, at one time, contemplated
large measures of this kind by the application of blocks
of the dried sludge.
It may give some idea of the vastness of the operations
in dealing with the sewage of London, to mention that the
Main Drainage Committee, in a report dated 18th February,
1892, stated that in 1891, 8,516 tons of lime, and 1,563 tons of
sulphate of iron, were required for the treatment of 30,172
millions of gallons of sewage at the northern outfall at Barking
Creek. The operation resulted in the production of 536,000
tons of sludge, which were sent to sea in two steamers.
During the summer, 500 tons of manganate of soda, and 347
tons of sulphuric acid were employed in deodorizing, mainly,