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systems of drainage have been tested by smoke and 368 by water,
amongst which 354 systems were found defective. Fifty-four
yards, 9 mews and stables, and 110 areas have also been drained.
Sanitary conveniences have also, as one would expect, received
considerable attention : 30 new closets have been erected, and 15
additional sanitary conveniences in connection with workshops or
factories, whilst in 287 cases the whole internal arrangements of
the water closet has had to be refurnished, and in 375 cases pans
and traps only; in 119 cases also water supply apparatus has
been required afresh, and in 108 cases the water supply has
been renewed, whilst in 33 cases the objectionable practice of
supplying the water closet direct from the drinking-water system
has been discontinued.
Sewerage. Very serious complaints have frequently been
received relating to the defective sewerage arrangements of the
Borough in respect to the inadequacy of the main outfall sewer of
the London County Council, which in times of heavy rainfall
becomes surcharged, and thus not only unable to satisfactorily
drain the premises in the low-lying parts of the Borough, but also
pours out its contents on to the low-lying lands and into the ground
floors and basements of houses erected on such land. The London
County Council have been communicated with respecting this
matter, and formal complaint has been made to them, specifying
some 306 premises which we are aware have been flooded with
this objectionable sewage material during the year. This number
does not profess to be a complete statement of the case, but only
the number of houses with which we have been made acquainted,
and in many of these cases the flooding has occurred not only on
one or two occasions, but frequently. The districts particularly
affected are certain portions of Woolwich Road, East Street, West