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in fact during the last 2 or 3 months of the year this staff was reduced to
2 Inspectors. The Chief Sanitary Inspector undoubtedly took on far more
than his share of this and the other work of his Department, bearing the
brunt when his staff was depleted in the Autumns of 1945 and 1946.
While relatively small, the number of cases of statutory overcrowding
reported during the year was very considerably above the pre-war level,
as also the number still waiting to be relieved at the end of the year, in
spite of the fact that the proportion relieved had been fairly high. When
it is remembered that the standard set by the Housing Acts is extremely
low, not only is it obvious that a considerable amount of undesirable
crowding can and does co-exist without appearing in these records, but
the desirability of attention being focused on these, the worst cases, is
equally apparent. If given the priority which would appear desirable,
the majority could be relieved at an early date.
WATER SUPPLY.
As in previous years the water supply of the District was provided
by the Sutton and District Water Company and the East Surrey Water
Company with a private supply supplementing, as necessary, at Cane
Hill Hospital.
Routine quarterly samples were taken for bacteriological and chemical
examination. No complaints were received during the year with regard
to the quality or quantity of the water supplied by the Water Companies
and there were no unsatisfactory samples.
Owing to the heavy rainfall throughout the year no restrictions in the
use of water for domestic or other purposes were imposed by the respective
Companies.
No samples of raw water were taken throughout the year.
The results of two chemical examinations and two bacteriological
examinations are given below and these are fairly typical of the reports:—