manchester corporation bought of land at davyhulme from the landowner, sir humphrey francis de trafford. they paid £13,333 on 14 december 1889, and in 1891, they paid £6,981 for another . all of the land was close to the ship canal, on a large loop which had formerly been the course of the river irwell. the construction work was managed by the city surveyor, and used direct labour, with a contract for the machinery being awarded to manlove, alliott & co. ltd. the sewage was to be treated in eleven precipitation tanks, arranged as a bank of six tanks and a bank of five, separated by a wide roadway. the complete structure measured . the main building complex included a power plant with two lancashire steam boilers, which produced hydraulic power, compressed air and electricity. after treatment, sludge was removed from the tanks using air-powered ejectors, and was compressed using hydraulic sludge presses. there was also an office building, and a range of facilities for the workers.