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Walthamstow and how much to Leyton, but if we have ordinary
senses we can see that after the effluent passes both of these works
it is anything but satisfactory to the people of Hackney. We are
not meeting to apportion blame, the only spirit we are meeting in is
to bring about a more satisfactory state of affairs. I may point out
to you that when we raised this question ten years ago the people of
Tottenham proved conclusively that they had nothing to do with
the pollution of the river, but since the remedy was found for
Tottenham we found a much cleaner river, so we must think that
they bad something to do with the pollution of the river. However,
what we want is to find a solution of the matter.
Mr. J. Spencer, a member of the Public Health Committee of
the Hackney Vestry: How long have we been taking samples ?
Dr. Warey : Two or three years.
The Chairman : Mr. Idris describes one of the rivers which run
into the River Lea above the intake of the Water Company as a
dirty stinking ditch. If you will go up there you will see that
pollution is going into it which ought not to go in.
Dr. Alexander, who was asked to repeat his statement, said :
I visited the old River Lea one day this week. The banks were
dark and discoloured from dirt. On Saturday I saw the effluent
from the waterworks and there was sewage coming in. The next
pollution that we get in our District is the outfall from the London
County Council sewers. That is only during storm times. We get
it from the high and middle sewers and from the Hackney Wick, but
of course we get a large amount of water, so that it is not so bad as
simply sewage. The next place is opposite the Iceland wharf; the
water there is bad, but where they turn their sewage in I do not
know, the water was bubbling with gas shewing that decomposition
was taking place. Then there are Messrs. Cook's works which have
a right to discharge their sewage into the River Lea. Opposite to
that there is another overflow from the sewers. The water from the
Bow Bridge to Bromley Mills was in a better condition. When we
come to Bow level the water from the Channelsea river comes in.