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18
DRAINAGE REGULATIONS.
During the past year the Vestry have taken a most important
step in the right direction with regard to drainage work.
Hitherto there has been a great lack of uniformity in the laying
of house drains; over and over again the Inspectors experiencd
great difficulties in getting the work carried out as they would
wish, this was pointed out to the Sanitary Committee, who
went into the matter, with the result that Regulations were
formulated and adopted by the Vestry; they are modelled on
the lines of the Bye-laws of the County Council, and contain all
the latest and best known methods of laying and amending
drainage work; they also provide that all drainage work,
except where new connections are made to the sewer, shall
be supervised by the Sanitary Officers. From the table of the
work carried out by Inspectors it will be seen that a large
amount of this work has been accomplished, all new drains
that are put in under the Inspectors' direction, are inspected
and tested whenever possible with the water test before
being covered in; and in connection with this matter I may
also state that we have now Ordinance Maps, on which all
new drains are set out, showing their exact position, etc. This
constitutes a valuable record and one that will ultimately prove
exceedingly useful to my department, and also to property owners
throughout the Hamlet.
In my Report of last year I devoted considerable space to the
Ventilation of Sewers, and also to the efficient Trapping of
Gullies. The former has been engaging the attention of experts
both in the provinces and in London, and it is to be hoped some
efficient means will be found to carry out this necessary matter
in the near future. With regard to the latter subject it is entirely
in the hands of the Vestry. Last year some few gullies having
a proper water seal were laid down to try their efficiency, as far
I know they have been found to act well, it is very desirable that
the Vestry should increase their number and gradually replace
the ones now in use, which have been found to allow sewer gas
to escape into the streets, and as many can testify during last
summer were very obnoxious to the passenger traffic; as my
department is responsible for the health of the district, it is my
duty to point out to the Vestry this evil, which is intensified in
the warmer weather, especially in narrow streets where sewer
gas is directly blown into the houses.
SEIZRE OF UNSOUND FOOD.
It is some years since an important seizure of unsound food
was made in the district, although the Inspectors and myself
are constrntly on the alert. On February 6, acting on information
that damaged Melons were being sold on Mile End Waste