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73
These analyses speak for themselves. A visit paid about the same
time (August) to the river elicited complaints, from persons who are
obliged to spend a large part of their time in the neighbourhood, of
the offensive smells which frequently emanate from the river. At
the time of my visit the weather was mild, and rains had recently
fallen, but the river at the White Hart Hotel, was then turbid in
appearance and foul to the smell. This condition was observed some
distance along the backwaters of the river in this district.
As to the cause of the pollution, this has been pointed out to the
Haokney Local Authority in my earlier reports, but in corroboration
of earlier statements I should like here to quote from a letter sent to
this Council on the subject of the pollution of the River Lea from
the Secretary to the Lea Conservancy Board. He states : " The
pollution of the Channelsea River and back waters about Stratford
and West Ham, is caused by the Sewage of Walthamstow and
Leyton, and the discharges from the Storm Water Outfalls of the
London County Council Sewers at Old Ford."
Enclosed with the same letter was a copy of a report of the
Engineer of the Lee Conservancy Board on an inspection of the
river made by that officer. He states "I made a special inspection
of the Channelsea River and Stratford back rivers on Tuesday last,
the 22nd instant (July), also of the Leyton and Walthamstow effluent
discharges, and the whole River Lee through Hackney marshes."
" The whole of the streams were much polluted and offensive."
Again, " I then walked on to Temple Mills, and followed this stream to
Quartermile Lane, and then through the G.E.R. Temple Mills siding
to the culvert under the railway which discharges the combined
effluents of Leyton and Walthamstow. Here the river was very
oflensive, and a large volume was being discharged which, instead
of flowing on down towards Temple Mills, flowed northwards and
down the old River Lea through Hackney Marshes."
The conditions met with on the Leyton Sewage Works were as
follows:—" Five tanks were dry, and appear to have been so some
time. The effluent in one tank was quite clear, but the other was