Stroubles Creek History
Past Impacts
From 1911 Report of State Commissioner of Health about Blacksburg, VA:
Sewerage.—The town has no system of sanitary sewers. The investigation showed a great many unsanitary privies, which are seldom, if ever, cleaned out, and several of which are built over Stroubles creek flowing through the center of the town. Several residences which are supplied by the two-inch pipe from Palmer’s spring have installed plumbing fixtures and discharge their sewerage into cesspools. The underlying rock is limestone, and is generally only a few feet under the ground surface, the top soil being a heavy clay. As a result, most of these cesspools extend down into the limestone and the sewage is supposed to be carried away through fissures and passages which always exist in a lime stone formation. In one particular instance, the cesspool was extended down until an underground stream was reached, and since then there has been no further trouble in getting rid of the sewage discharged into it. Another instance, and perhaps the worst which this department has ever come across, is the cess pool on the hotel premises which was formerly a well forty feet in depth. Then plumbing fixtures were put in, water was taken from the two-inch line and the well then changed into a cesspool. Several instances were discovered where the sewage was discharged directly into the creek.
Link to 1911 Report
From 1913 Report (Page 108)
"Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg.—Water supply inspected and recommendations made for proposed improvements. Sewerage system inspected; the installation of a Sewage disposal plant recommended."
Link to 1913 Report
Sewerage.—The town has no system of sanitary sewers. The investigation showed a great many unsanitary privies, which are seldom, if ever, cleaned out, and several of which are built over Stroubles creek flowing through the center of the town. Several residences which are supplied by the two-inch pipe from Palmer’s spring have installed plumbing fixtures and discharge their sewerage into cesspools. The underlying rock is limestone, and is generally only a few feet under the ground surface, the top soil being a heavy clay. As a result, most of these cesspools extend down into the limestone and the sewage is supposed to be carried away through fissures and passages which always exist in a lime stone formation. In one particular instance, the cesspool was extended down until an underground stream was reached, and since then there has been no further trouble in getting rid of the sewage discharged into it. Another instance, and perhaps the worst which this department has ever come across, is the cess pool on the hotel premises which was formerly a well forty feet in depth. Then plumbing fixtures were put in, water was taken from the two-inch line and the well then changed into a cesspool. Several instances were discovered where the sewage was discharged directly into the creek.
Link to 1911 Report
From 1913 Report (Page 108)
"Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg.—Water supply inspected and recommendations made for proposed improvements. Sewerage system inspected; the installation of a Sewage disposal plant recommended."
Link to 1913 Report
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Stroubles Creek Being Buried @ VT 1930's
Photos borrowed from VT-Facilities and scanned by VT-Digital Imaging and Archiving
Photos borrowed from VT-Facilities and scanned by VT-Digital Imaging and Archiving