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83
That Channelsea river is in a beastly state. At the Abbey Mills
there is a lock, and 1 walked along the Channelsea road and saw the
condition of that which was nothing else than a sewage settling
tank, and when the lock is open it comes down to our river. We
next noticed some overflow water from the gas works. I have seen
the manager, and he told me that was exhaust water, and not
much harm. Opposite the Commercial Gas Works we saw the
West Ham sewage overflow, and that was simply sewage with
excrement floating on the top. We have redrained several portions
of our district, and have spent about £3,000 in taking our sewage
out of the River Lea, therefore, so far as the Poplar Board of Works
is concerned there is very little to complain of.
Mr. W. Pearce, one of the members of the London County
Council for Limehouse, said : I can speak as to the condition of
the Limehouse Cut. The condition of the river is now continually
under my notice, and I am on the Main Drainage
Committee of the County Council, and am now chairman of it.
No doubt the largest portion of the pollution of the Biver Lea is
from West Ham. Eight million gallons per day of sewage are discharged
from that district into the river. This must be remedied
in the future by Parliament, and before very long this sewage
must find its way into the County Council sewers. The effect
of that will be great indeed. I can bear out what Dr. Alexander
says as to the state of the river. The County Council are also
to some extent offenders, but in our case it has been inevitable.
The sewers have a certain capacity, and sometimes that is
exceeded, and then they overflow. There are three discharges
into the river. We are trying to remedy this, and we have already
a scheme in preparation. The plans are nearly finished, and in a
little time I hope the scheme will be carried. If it is there will be
a new 7-ft. 6-in. sewer provided from Hackney Wick down to
West Ham. That will close two of the overflows, and largely
mitigate the evil. So that I hope that in the future this second
pollution will be mitigated. Now we come to Leyton and Walthamstow.
I should like to assure you, gentlemen, how almost impossible
it is to produce an effluent from large districts like that