At the request of Lieut.-Colonel A. S. Jones, V.C., Assoc. M. Inst.
C.E., who has done yeoman service in this matter, I have great
pleasure in putting down some observations on this old but ever
controversial question of sewage treatment.
Colonel Jones has done more than anyone else living to establish
correct views on sewage farming, and he has lately changed the
Government sewage marshes at Aldershot into a veritable “Garden of
Eden,” watered by the waters from Aldershot Camp, growing healthy
crops, and causing not the slightest nuisance. After many struggles,
even the milk from the dairy cows is now recognised as good and
supplied to the military hospitals. This is an achievement of which
anyone might be proud; and all those who have been over the farm
during the time of the “deluge,” and can now study the order and
system evolved out of chaos by Colonel Jones will testify to this! It
is pleasant to record that the War Office have recognised Colonel
Jones’ work for them by having appointed him quite recently to manage
all the sewage disposal works in the Aldershot district. This will
involve the laying out of irrigation works in eight separate places,
in some of which artificial methods of sewage purification have been
tried and found wanting.
Before commencing with my task proper it may not be out of place to
describe here very shortly the various stages through which the sewage
question has passed during the century just closed. Such a retrospect
is of general interest and may throw some further light upon our
subject; it must of necessity be short, otherwise it would absorb more
time and space than is at my disposal, and any shortcomings in this
respect that the reader may discover, I trust he will kindly put down
to this cause.
“The man in the street” seems year after year more called upon to form
an important element in settling questions even of a scientific
nature, and if what I am going to say should prove of some service to
him my labours will be well repaid.