View report page

148
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
During the year 1902, 119 complaints were received of
nuisance from 119 ventilators. Of these, eight were in the
parish of Clapham, 17 in Putney, 57 in Streatham, 12 in Tooting,
and 25 in Wandsworth.
A spot map of the whole Borough showing the position of
the ventilators complained of has been prepared, and on the same
map is shown the position of the main sewerage system in the
Borough
I have personally inspected many of these streets and the
ventilators complained of. In a few the nuisance still existed on
the occasion of my visit, but as in the great majority such smell is
paroxysmal no nuisance could be traced on the occasion of my
visit. Every complaint received in the Public Health Department
was forwarded to the Surveyor of the district and was
attended to. In the Garratt Lane main sewer the odour at some
times was very overpowering and there is no doubt in my mind
that the sewer gas from this main sewer, instead of following the
main course of the water, ascends from the low levels to the
branch sewers at higher levels, causing offensive odours in streets
at a distance from such sewer.
At one time numerous complaints were received from residents
in Earlsfield Road and the streets in Allfarthing Lane, but
since the closing of the ventilators in the streets and the erection
of ventilating shafts such complaints have largely diminished.
I feel certain that such sewer gas in the majority of cases is
not generated in the pipe drains which exist in the new streets off
Allfarthing Lane and Earlsfield Road, but is generated in the
large sewer. Similarly the sewer gas in some of the streets in
Putney cannot be generated in the sewers belonging to the
Borough Council as in some streets, notably Clarendon Road, there
can be no deposit, and sewer gas is not generated in fresh sewage.
Other examples might be cited in other parts of the Borough, but
in regard to this the Surveyors are more capable of giving an
opinion than myself.
The crux of the whole question is, what means ought to be
taken to prevent the sewer gas from being a nuisance.