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NUISANCE CAUSED BY THE VENTILATORS OF THE LONDON
COUNTY COUNCIL'S SEWERS.
The Vestry's appeal against the decision of the Kensington Justices in
the summons issued against the London County Council for failing to
comply with the Vestry's notices requiring them to abate the nuisance caused
by the emission of sewer gas from the sewer ventilators at the junction of
Hartismere and Dawes Road, and in Melmoth Place, was tried by the
Divisional Court of the Queen's Bench Division, before Mr. Justice Day and
Mr. Justice Lawrence, who held that the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
was not intended to apply to public works belonging to a public authority
and dismissed the appeal with costs. But since the case was decided the
Council have erected a shaft against a house at the corner of Dawes and
Hartismere Roads and closed the offensive ventilator.
The question of the ventilation of sewers has been much discussed of
late, all metropolitan districts having experienced the same trouble, and a
Conference of the Surveyors of the various Vestries and District Boards
in London was recently convened by Sir A. Binnie, Chief Engineer to the
London County Council, with the view to some uniform system being
adopted, if possible, for dealing with complaints of offensive emanations from
gratings connected with both local and main sewers, at which the following
resolutions were passed :—
1. —That the closing of sewer ventilators in response to complaints increases
the general evil, the diminution of which is to be attained
by the multiplication of the ventilators at regular frequent
intervals.
2.—That in connection with any interceptor hereafter fixed on a main
house drain it is advisable to carry up a ventilating pipe from the
sewer side of the interceptor, up the front side, or back of the house,
to the satisfaction of the local sanitary authority, and that the outlet
drain from the interceptor shall not be flap-trapped in sewer,
unless required by the local sanitary authority.
3. —That pipe ventilators up buildings, or otherwise where possible,
should always be adopted, in addition to surface ventilation.
It will be noticed that the conclusions of the Conference practically confirm
the action of the Vestry in recent years, and it is to be hoped that in