The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

How To Design And Install Plumbing

Not alone does aquatic and animal life suffer from unregulated discharge of sewage wastes. Recent health statistics reveal the fact that most of the water-borne diseases, such as dysentery, typhoid, diarrhea and other intestinal disorders are more prevalent in rural communities than in the larger cities. In most instances these illnesses are caused by contaminated drinking water.

As a rule the water for domestic use in rural communities is taken from the ground, as indicated in Fig. 9. The source of water in this instance is taken from a water table, which can be contaminated with dangerous, disease-spreading bacteria, because it is close to the surface of the soil. Fig. 10 shows an outside privy, which is an objectionable but common method of sewage disposal, and a cesspool, both of which are disease-contributing agencies. The organic material, with its extremely high bacterial content, is collected in the pit of the privy and carried into the drinking supply by surface water drainage through crevices in rock or loose formation of the soil. This is also true of the cesspool installation.

To overcome this dangerous condition the organic materials must undergo treatment. They must be corrected or purified so that well or stream pollution will not result. The combination of septic tank and purification unit is the best means to obtain this end. It is not uncommon for residents of summer homes closely associated with one another to build a community disposal system.

These installations are generally supervised by state sanitary authorities and are a decided benefit because of their controlled terminals.

Cesspool. So that the reader may be better informed on the necessity of sewage treatment, the cesspool might be defined as a hole in the ground curbed with stone, brick, or other material, laid in such a manner as to allow raw contaminated sewage to leach into the soil. Fig. 10 shows the construction of a cesspool. The wastes are deposited in the cesspool by terminating the drains from the plumbing fixtures installed in the residence into it. The organic wastes accumulate and are finally disposed of by a disintegration process.