London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Sutton 1903
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton]
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The works continue to be visited by representatives of local authorities and
persons interested in the treatment of sewage, both in this country and abroad.
The capacity of the beds is at present not too great for the effective treatment of
the sewage, and as the population is rapidly increasing, and with it naturally the
volume of sewage, the extension of the system in the future will, of course,
become necessary, and require to be provided for.
Bye-Laws Relating to New Streets and Buildings.—The following table shows the work done under these Bye-Laws in 1902, and the ten preceding years:—
| In 1893 | In 1894 | In 1895 | In 1896 | In 1897 | In 1898 | In 1899 | In 1900 | In 1901 | In 1902 | In 1903 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The number of new buildings, and of additions to buildings, of which plana were submitted for approval under the Bye-Laws, was | 87 | 89 | 110 | 132 | 227 | 263 | 257 | 153 | 201 | 174 | 192 |
| The number of new streets, ditto, was | 2 | 4 | none | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| The number of times that legal proceedings were taken for breach of the Bye-laws relating to streets and buildings was | none | none | 1 | 1 | none | none | 1 | none | none | none | none |
Five private streets were metalled, channelled, paved, &c., during the year
under the Private Streets Works Act, 1892.
As to House Drainage, &c.—I am informed by the surveyor that the drains
of 177 premises were connected with the sewers of the district during the year, viz.,
173 houses, 2 stables, 1 shop, and 1 blacksmith's forge
The Sanitary Inspector reports that the house drains were disconnected from
three cesspools in the chalk, and that these were afterwards emptied and filled up.
At the end of the year there were 39 cesspools in use in the chalk, three only
remaining within a quarter of a mile of the waterworks, which we hope will be
closed within a short time.
During the year many complaints were received of the flooding occurring at
various times in the lower level portion of the town owing to the unprecedently
heavy rainfall, and a petition was presented by many of the inhabitants in the
neighbourhood affected, asking the Council to try and deal with the matter so as to
do away with the great inconvenience and damage caused thereby. In my report
to the Council on September 3rd, "the possible danger to public health by the
deposit of the solid matter on the surface of the various premises and streets on the
subsidence of the flood water" was called attention to, and the desirability, if
possible, of making increased provision to enable the drains to more effectually
remove the storm water, The Surveyor advised that the present storm water sewer
was of insufficient capacity, and the Council decided to put in a new auxiliary sewer
in order to prevent the above nuisance recurring and which would also serve in the
future as an outlet for a complete system of storm water drainage.