The Scientific American says this method “is one that cannot be defended either from an æsthetic or sanitary standpoint. The dumps become an ideal breeding place for flies.”
Dumping in Large Bodies of Water
Only a few cities use this method. In most places where it has been tried, it has been prohibited because the material is washed on the neighboring shores.
Disposal by Sanitary Fill
This method is practised by some cities, among them Seattle, Davenport, and New Orleans, which report its success. It is given more serious consideration than heretofore by several large cities. The method is different than that of burial, in that it is carried on by filling excavations, vacant low lying ground and natural ravines.
The garbage, rubbish and ashes are dumped and then mixed with sufficient earth to insure oxidation and thorough digestion of the decomposable wastes. The activity of the bacteria of the soil breaks down and mineralizes the organic matter and when there is sufficient oxygen, i. e. air, no putrefaction or other odors result. Success depends upon the following treatment:
(1) The garbage must not be buried so deep that bacterial activity is reduced.
(2) The garbage must not be spread in a thick layer on the surface of the ground.
(3) The ground must be sufficiently open and drained so that air can penetrate to a sufficient depth.
(4) The garbage must not overload the soil, but must be sufficiently diluted with earth, ashes and rubbish, so that putrefaction may take place, due to the presence of an ample supply of air in the pores of the soil.