Health Inspectors Check Land Irrigated With Sewage

July 28, 1899: What happens when a city uses sewage for irrigation? People get sick.

Comments

[Jay]

Let's just remember this is before chlorination and adequate microbial testing. Todays reclaimed water is completely different.

[Anna Sklar]

Regarding sewage use for farms. Extremely popular throughout southwest even up to 1947. Tri-Cities Sewage Farm served Pasadena and Altadena. State Dept of Health allowed sewage to be used on a variety of food crops, excluding those, like strawberries, for example, that would come into direct contact.
Sewage farms were discontinued, not for health reasons, but because of development and need for housing. See my book, "Brown Acres:An Intimate History of L.A. Sewers" (Angel City Press, 2008).