Even when sewage is mixed with brine, the bacteria-destroying action is not what it once was thought to be, as shown by careful scientific studies.

The 1959 report quotes Dr. W. E. Clapper, then associate professor of bacter iology, University of Utah, in referring to E. coli and salmonella paratyphi, as saying, "the lake water is not rapidly bactericidal of any of these organisms." This conclusion was confirmed in a study by Russell S. Fraser, chief of the division of laboratories, State health department. He found that "contrary to previous assumptions, E. coli is not killed rapidly by water from Great Salt Lake." Prof. Grant H. Borg, head of the University of Utah Department of Engineering, was quoted by the report to the effect "that in his opinion the potential for an epidemic certainly exists because of the presence of raw sewage in the marshes surrounding Great Salt Lake, and that Salt Lake City lags far behind in providing effective means of waste disposal."

[From the Salt Lake Tribune, Apr. 21, 1961]

SALT LAKE FIDDLES, DAVIS BURNS-WHEN SEWER PLANT?

(EDITOR'S NOTE.-This is the third article in a series explaining
the hazards of exposed raw sewage and the need for more treat-
ment plants to eliminate the dangers.)

(By William C. Patrick, Tribune medical editor)

While Salt Lake City fiddles on the building of a sewage treatment plant, Davis County burns with indignation-and for good reason.

Salt Lake City's open sewage stream-running northeast to Great Salt Lakeis probably a greater hazard to communities in southern Davis County than to the city creating the nuisance.

And Davis County, with a smaller population and less taxable property, has gone ahead faster than any Utah area is providing sewage treatment. The North Davis Sewer District has been a going concern since 1959; The central district will be operating this summer, and two units of the south Davis district by next year.

In 1962, Davis County will have achieved the distinction of being the first county to provide treatment for all of its collection systems.

The most populous part of Salt Lake County south of the city also has reason to look at the capital city with a jaundiced eye. There are now eight county districts with functioning sewage plants; the Sandy district will be in operation this year, and the Magna district will call for bids on its new installation this month.

The need for treating sewage grows not only for reasons already explained, but for an additional one few people think about. A sewage system is fast becoming more than a means of taking care of the ordinary wastes. It also is a garbage elimination method, because of the increasing use of garbage grinders in household sinks.

The Utah Water Pollution Control Board is pleased with a few exceptionsabout the progress made during the last 12 years in the installation of sewage treatment plants, and feels that municipal officials responsible are to be complimented, said Lynn M. Thatcher, executive secretary of the board.

Although since 1953, the board has had authority to compel installation of such plants in places where hazards are created, it has been the policy to encourage voluntary action by the various communities. However, with population increasing, particularly along the Wasatch front, it may be necessary for the board to start cracking down, he declared.

Another concern of the board arises from the fact there are still some areas, even in the more populous counties, that don't even have collection systems. They use septic tanks, or even worse, cesspools.

Among the unsewered areas in which problems of liquid surfacing from individual systems have been brought to the attention of the State board of health are Corinne, Bear River City and Tremonton, Box Elder County; Chesterfield, Salt Lake County, Salem, Utah County, and Kamas, Summit County.

There are broad expanses of sparsely settled range or farm land where neither collection systems nor treatment plants are indicated. Properly installed septic tanks are adequate, provided the soil will absorb the liquid effluent, thus preventing it from coming to the surface.

Cache County is the only populous county without a single municipal treatment plant. There are collection systems in Logan, Wellsville, and Lewiston, but all dump raw sewage into Bear River, which flows down through Box Elder County into the lake.

While several Box Elder County communities are lax in providing adequate sewage disposal systems, Brigham City is alert to the problems caused by its increasing population and has plans underway for doubling the capacity of its treatment plant.

The biggest installation in the State for taking care of sewage in a safe, sanitary manner is the Central Weber Sewer Improvement District. Built at a cost of $3,732,000, it handles the sewage from Ogden City and other communities comprising 90 percent of Weber County's population. Communities in the Huntsville area and in the southeast section of the county still rely on obsolete disposal methods.

In Utah County, there are seven city-operated treatment plants, which relieve Utah Lake of most of its burden of raw sewage. Payson is the only sewered community in the county without a treatment plant.

Credit must be given to the initiative of several towns away from the Wasatch front in establishing treatment plants. Among them are Nephi, Sunnyside, Heber City, Richfield, Tooele, Vernal, Moab, Kanab, Monticello, and Salina. Moab, because of population growth, is planning an expansion.

In addition to eliminating health hazards, treatment plants are important for water conservation in a State plagued by chronic drought. A two-stage plant produces what the water pollution board classifies as D water. The board would permit this to be used for certain industrial purposes and for the irrigation of forage crops, but not for crops shipped to the consumer in the raw stage.

With the addition of a third stage a class C water should be produced, which is usable for any purpose, except culinary, Sunnyside is the only community with a plant capable of turning out C water.

If D water is turned into a stream and diluted with a high quality water, the result is the production of a C water with greater usage potentialities. From economic, as well as sanitation and water conservation standpoints, a treatment plant could be a good proposition for Salt Lake City.

The sewage stream discharges approximately 18 million gallons a day. Allowing for diminution through removal of solids, this would amount to about 50 acre-feet a day.

If the D water turned out by a treatment plant were sold for limited agricultural usage it would bring a minimum of $3 an acre-foot, or $150 a day. In the event the water could be sold for industrial purposes, the return would be 10 times this amount, or approximately enough to amortize the cost of the plant.

In some parts of the country, treatment plants sell solid matter recovered in the process for use as fertilizer.

The black and white of sewage treatment is shown in this map of populous counties on Wasatch front. Still pouring raw sewage in lake, Salt Lake City is biggest black spot.

[From the Salt Lake Tribune, Apr. 22, 1961]

ROTTING DELTA OF RAW S.L. SEWAGE-BIGGEST CITY GREATEST OFFENDER

(EDITOR'S NOTE.-This is the last article in a series explaining the hazards of exposed raw sewage and the need for more treatment plants to eliminate the dangers.)

(By William C. Patrick, Tribune medical editor)

"We should all be sick of wallowing in our own filth. Even a self-respecting hog won't do that."

The comment referred to the emptying of raw sewage into Great Salt Lake, once regarded with pride as the Inland Sea-American counterpart of the Holy Land's Dead Sea.

It came from J. L. (Casey) Bown, public information officer of the State Fish and Game Department. Along with health officials, those interested in the protection of wildlife and the promotion of recreation in areas around the lake are deeply concerned with sewage pollution.

Salt Lake City is offender No. 1.

Utah's capital city pours a stream of undiluted filth into the shores of the lake. There are other sources of pollution of lesser importance, which also should be eliminated.

The only answer is purification of sewage by running it through approved treatment plants. Along the Wasatch Front and spotted around in other parts of the State a number of plants are now in operation, some under construction and still others in the planning stage.

Dr. Hichard J. Nelson, Salt Lake City health commissioner, said this in commenting on the present situation:

"As far as I have been able to determine, there is no other city in America of our size dependent upon such an unsafe and noxious sewage system, or dependent on one with the potential danger existing from both our canal and our outflow area. Salt Lake City remains one of the few areas on the Wasatch Front still contaminating Great Salt Lake.

"Though nearly all other cities and communities, at great expense and hardship, have accepted their responsibilities, in making this area truly beauteous and safe, the largest city and most flagrant contaminator has continued to discharge untreated, highly dangerous, odoriferous wastes into our environment. "I can find no justification for the continuation of this highly dangerous method of sewage handling and strongly recommend the immediate construction of a sewage treatment plant capable of ridding our community of this inexcusable and dangerous situation."

Dr. Nelson pointed out that because of the present low level of the lake, the sewage does not immediately enter the salt water, but fans out in the form of a large delta covering hundreds of acres.

The size of the sewage pond increases under the influence of a northwest wind, which pushes water from the main part of the lake toward the east shore. The health commissioner said he felt confident that if residents of Salt Lake City could actually see the mess they would demand that something be done to eliminate it.

There is talk in the wind about establishing a State or national park on the north end of Antelope Island, but as long as the wind also contains the odor of raw sewage there is little likelihood that plans will materialize. Even more important would be the hazard of sewage-polluted water swirling around the north end of the island and down the west side, where a bathing beach would be established.

In addition to prolonging a health hazard, therefore, a continuation of Salt Lake City's present practice would prevent development of a potentially attractive scenic and recreational area.

Both Dr. Nelson and Lynn M. Thatcher, secretary of the Utah Water Pollution Control Board, affirmed that evidence has been found to show that sewageladen water flows around the north end of Antelope Island.

Sewage solids have been seen floating on the water and also embedded in salt deposits on both the north and west shores.

Sewage contamination is not only a drawback to future developments, but a hazard in existing duck clubs and wild fowl refuse areas along the entire eastern shore of the lake.