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Sanitation and the City (c.1957)

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From the sink to the sewer

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

This clip outlines how clean water becomes polluted once it is used in the home, at workplaces and in factories. It also illustrates the responsibility of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works in disposing of the city’s sewage. A map shows Melbourne’s sewer network, the location of the pumping station at Spotswood and the Metropolitan Farm at Werribee where the sewage is treated. Further footage shows large sewer pipes being connected to the network, the pumping station at Spotswood, a small treatment plant at Kew and the Braeside biological treatment plant.

Curator’s notes

by Poppy De Souza

This clip presents information through a combination of explanatory narration, illustrations and maps, details of locations (such as the pumping station and treatment plants) and footage of works being carried out. Beginning in the kitchen sink and ending in one of the treatment plants in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, the film links domestic and industrial water use to the complex network of sewers and treatment plants that channel polluted water out of the city. Sanitation and the City was designed to make the public more aware of the work of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, since the sewer pathways are largely invisible to water users.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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