The proper design of weirs for diverting the excess volume of sewage in times of storm has not in the past always received sufficient consideration. Too frequently it has been dealt with by rule of thumb. In the first place the position for the weir has not always been well chosen; but, as a result of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal, it will be necessary in the future to construct these weirs, in all cases which require the approval of the Local Government Board, after the screen. This is a wise precaution, as it prevents the possibility of a storm-water overflow coming into action as a result of want of attention to the screen. In this position the factor which has the greatest influence upon the proper working of such weirs is the rate of flow into the detritus tanks, i.e. the area of the inlets to these tanks. It is true that these may be regulated by the use of valves, but unless these valves, when once adjusted to the correct height, can be permanently locked in that position, it leaves them at the mercy of an unscrupulous workman, who may, if he wishes, close them entirely, and thus cause the entire flow of sewage to pass over the storm overflow weir in order to save himself the trouble of attending to the tanks and filters. It is probably with the intention of preventing the possibility of such mismanagement that the Local Government Board object to valves on the inlets to the detritus tanks. One method of preventing trouble is to use simple hand-stops, and provide the frames in both inlets but only one door, so that it is impossible for the man to close both inlets at the same time. The Local Government Board are also usually averse to the use of any type of movable weir, and prefer the simple fixed weir.

Diverting Plate.—Many ingenious devices have been adopted in the past for the purpose of ensuring the diversion of all the excess volume above a certain fixed quantity. One of these is shown in Fig. 9, where it is assumed that all in excess of the volume which is taken by the sewer flowing four-fifths full is to be discharged over the overflow. In order to facilitate this result, an iron plate is fixed at the level of the weir (say four-fifths of the diameter of the sewer), over the whole of the outlet end of the chamber or man-hole, with a sharp edge on the side facing the flow, so that when the sewage in the chamber rises above this level, the excess volume above that flowing at a depth of four-fifths of the diameter of the sewer, is automatically diverted by the plate and caused to pass away over the weir. The invert of the chamber must naturally correspond with the diameter of the sewer.

Fixed Weirs.—Even this ingenious method of diversion is, however, not accurate, as no provision is made to counteract the effect of the increased head on the outlet from the chamber, due to the backing up of the sewage in passing over the weir. Where a fixed weir is alone permissible, the only really satisfactory method of securing the desired result, is to increase the width of the overflow weir to such an extent that the maximum depth of storm-water, which may possibly flow over the weir, is reduced to the minimum, say one inch, and thus the effect of this head on the normal outlet from this chamber (i.e. on the inlet to the detritus or sedimentation tanks) is also reduced to the minimum. This will necessitate careful consideration, and a special set of calculations in each case. Where it is found that the execution of the above suggestion involves the construction of a weir of abnormal and unpractical width, it will be found convenient to arrange the normal dry-weather outlet from this chamber in the form of a narrow vertical slot, which can be most easily provided in a simple door or stop in a grooved frame, fixed in the outlet from this chamber. Fig. 10 shows an example of this slotted door, and when the correct width of the slot has been ascertained by actual experiment, the door should be bolted to the frame, so that it cannot be removed or altered by any unauthorised person. From the drawing it will be seen that it is not difficult to calculate the dimensions of the slot orifice, so that with the head due to the height of the storm overflow weir it shall discharge the desired volume (say three times the dry-weather flow), and if the width of the overflow weir is then calculated to take the excess volume with a depth of one inch of water over the weir, this extra one inch of head will have very little effect on the discharge through the slot outlet.

Movable Weirs.—If, however, it is desired to provide for an absolutely correct diversion of the storm-water, this can only be done by the use of a movable weir. There are two types of this form of weir on the market at present, both manufactured by Messrs. Adams Hydraulics, Ltd. Fig. 11 shows a floating weir, circular in form, arranged by means of floats to rise and fall freely with the level of the sewage in the chamber. The joint between the fixed and moving portions of the apparatus consists of an air-lock, and is thus frictionless. The floats are adjusted to bring the lip of the weir at such a depth below the top water level, that the volume which can pass over the weir without raising it is the maximum volume which it is desired to pass to the tanks and filters. As soon as the flow of sewage exceeds this volume, it naturally causes the floats to raise the lip of the weir, and in this way the volume passing to the tanks and filters can never exceed the predetermined fixed volume, and all in excess must pass over the overflow weir. Fig. 12 shows a swinging syphon, which has the same effect as the floating weir. In this case the syphon has both legs trapped, so that it acts as a continuous syphon, and it is pivoted on the top of the division wall to swing freely. To the inlet leg, on the sewer side of the division wall, is attached an adjustable float, of sufficient buoyancy to raise this leg of the syphon (and with it the outlet leg as well) as the sewage rises in the chamber. It will be seen that the difference in level between the lip of the inlet leg and the buoyancy point of the float, represents the head which controls the maximum rate of flow through the syphon, and that immediately this is exceeded the float rises, and with it the syphon leg, so that all the excess volume of sewage, above the fixed maximum rate of flow through the syphon, must of necessity pass over the storm-water overflow weir.