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Lots Road Pumping Station.—The Main Drainage Committee of the County Council
reported that some of the engines would be in readiness for working at the end of July;
but, as shown above, there was a severe flooding in August. Upon the occasion of the September
deluge, I put myself in communication with the Chief Engineer of the Council, with a view of
ascertaining "whether the pumping apparatus had been in operation on the occasion, and, if so,
whether working to its full capacity, or to what lesser extent?" it being desirable to know" whether
the disastrous inundations were due to the non-use of the pumps, or to their inability to cope with
the rainfall?" The reply received was to the effect that "only one of the pumps was working on
the 4th September."
On the morning of the 15th October there was another but less serious flooding at the time of
high-water in the river, so that the storm water, etc., not being able to flow out of the sewer, had to
be lifted into the river by the pumps. I made inquiry of the Chief Engineer how many pumps were
at work and at what times,respectively,they had started? for obviously it would take some little time
for storm water to flow from North Kensington to the outfall of the sewer at the river side at Chelsea.
I was informed that three engines had started to work at 6.48, 7.5 and 7.8 a.m. respectively, and
had been stopped at 8, 8.11 and 9.8 a.m. respectively, "all the water having been pumped out." The
Sanitary Inspector of the district, where the flooding occurred, reported that it began at 6.10 a.m., or
38 minutes before the first pump started—a fact which I think justifies apprehension as to the
efficacy of the costly remedy provided by the County Council.
There is no means of acquainting the superintendent at the station of the onset of excessive
rainfall at North Kensington, but the fact above stated suggests a doubt whether, if such provision
were made, the starting of the pumps as soon as danger threatened, would save the houses from
inundation, seeing that the sewer would not run full for, say, half-an-hour after the storm began.
The County Council do not appear to be sanguine as to the efficiency of the station, to judge
from a report by their Main Drainage Committee (4th February, 1904) on further "Proposed Relief
Works," which reads as follows:—
"The floodings in North Kensington have been very severe, the reason being that there is a
storm overflow from the Middle Level sewer to the Counter's Creek sewer, but instead of this
storm-water being carried by a special sewer, it reaches the Counter's Creek sewer by going
through a number of local sewers. All the floodings occur on each side of these local sewers,
and as it is obvious that these latter become surcharged very quickly, a new storm-water sewer
ought to be constructed from the Middle Level sewer near Notting Hill to the Counter's Creek
sewer. The total cost of constructing such a sewer is estimated at £20,000."
The report was adopted. Time alone can show whether the pumps, plus the new sewer, will
suffice for the object in view. In any case, it is to be hoped that the construction of the sewer will
be put in hand as soon as practicable. It has only to be added that since October last there has
been no storm of such severity as to test the efficacy of the unaided pumping station.
SEWER SMELLS: UNTRAPPED STREET GULLIES, Etc.
Complaints are made from time to time, usually by residents in the vicinity, of untrapped
street gullies and ventilating grids in the carriage ways, of offensive smells arising therefrom. All
such cases are reported by me to the Public Health Committee and are usually referred to the Works
Committee, with a view to the proper trapping of the gullies, and the closing of the offensive ventilating
openings, which is done in some cases. When the sewer is under the jurisdiction of the London
County Council, the complaints are referred to that body.
The Sanitary Committee of the late Vestry gave attention to this subject of untrapped street
gullies in connection with a recommendation, in my twelfth report for 1899 (December 7th, page 126),
that, "as soon as practicable, brick flap-trapped street gullies should be replaced by pan syphon-trapped
gullies." The Surveyor reported that there were about 5,000 brick flap-trapped gullies in the parish,
and that the cost of fixing syphon-trapped pan gullies in lieu thereof would be about £3 per gulley—
say £l5,000 in all; a large sum, doubtless, but, still, less than had then recently been expended on
the wood-paving of a single street, Cromwell Road. The Committee reported (February 14th, 1900),
that all brick gullies proved to be offensive, are replaced with the newer pattern of gulley; that any
new gullies constructed were of this type, and that pan gullies were also fixed in roads converted from