View report page

77
During 1932, 11 claims made by the owners that the Council
were liable for the reconstruction of the common portion of the
drainage systems of their premises were dealt with.
In 3 cases liability, wholly or in part, was admitted by the
Council, and the expenditure incurred by them under this head
amounted to £47 lis. lid.
In 7 cases liability was repudiated, and 1 case was still under
consideration at the end of the year.

In 4 cases the Committee gave directions for proceedings to be
instituted against builders who had failed to submit plans of
drainage works executed by them. In 3 of these the required plans
were submitted before the summonses were issued, and in the fourth
case the defendant died.
In 19 cases work to drains and sanitary fittings was found
to have been carried out without notice having first been given
or plans submitted to the Council in accordance with the requirements
of the drainage by-laws.
These cases were reported to the Health Committee, and in
all instances, satisfactory explanations having been received from
the builder responsible, the Committee ordered the offenders to
be cautioned.
In two other cases, which occurred at the end of 1931, legal
proceedings were instituted by order of the Committee, the result
of which will be found set out on page 73.
During the year 1932, 530 drains were tested by smoke of which
87 were found defective. The water test was applied on 2,031
occasions, this being mainly applied to drains in course of construction
or reconstruction. Soil pipes and ventilating pipes were
reconstructed or repaired in 142 instances.
Water closets were provided in 17 cases and existing closets
repaired in 680 cases.
The total number of drains relaid during the year was 135.
Those cleansed and repaired numbered 440.