[Report 1908] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottingham City.

  • Nottingham (England). City Council.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1908] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottingham City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    187/192 (page 175)
    Disposal of Refuse.—The past year has been slightly better than its predecessor as regards the disposal of nightsoil. The wet weather in the early part caused a few orders to be cancelled, but the greatest drawback has been our inability to use the canals at a time when the farmers cannot take nightsoil by rail. For a great portion of the year the canals were unfit for use either for want of cleansing or lack of water, and at these times it was necessary to deposit nightsoil at the depots in order to allow it to drain, and then burn it in the destructors ; 4,880 tons have been disposed of in this manner during the year. The Eastcroft Destructor has been at work 5,275 hours during 1908, and has consumed 31,481 tons, as against 32,109 in 1907, and 25,939 during 1906. It has produced 1,120,914 units of electricity and evaporated 8,693,400 gallons of water. Of the night¬ soil refuse thus burnt, 6,994 tons were brought by rail from Basford, at a cost of £478, and 899 tons from Radford at a cost of £49. Owing to the cessation of building operations in the Meadows district, there has been no demand for the clinkers produced at the Eastcroft, with the result that it is now costing some £300 per annum to dispose of them. The Radford Destructor has been kept at work throughout the year, and has consumed 5,447 tons of dry ashes, 1,236 tons of pail closet refuse, 498 tons of ash-pit refuse, and 936 tons of trade refuse—a total of 8,117 tons, as against 8,444 tons during 1907. 2,946 tons of clinker and flue dust have been produced, and a large quantity of this has been sent away by rail for sewage works, road making, etc., the remainder being carted to the nearest tip at Dunkirk. In addition to the 4,880 tons of nightsoil burnt in the de¬ structors, the following amounts were sent away, by various means of transit, as manure:—By boat, 12,468 tons; by rail from Eastcroft, 6,757 tons ; from Basford, 5,572 tons ; and from Radford, 6,295 tons. By traction engine from Eastcroft, Basford and Radford, 7,350 tons, and by carts (to farms) 270 tons. This gives a total of 38,712 tons sent to farmers, being 2,911 tons less than the previous year. The following table shows the quantities of nightsoil sent out by rail and boat during the past 14 years:—