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SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
Water Supply
Every dwelling house in the Borough is provided with
a water supply direct from the mains of the Metropolitan
Water Board and no complaints were received during the
year concerning its purity.
Drainage and Sewerage
Four hundred and seventy-five applications were
received for approval in respect of the drainage of new
buildings or the reconstruction of existing drains. All
the works were carried out under the supervision of the
Public Health Inspectors.
The Council's Sewers Reconstruction programme proceeded
according to plan and 4,163 feet of sewers were renewed.
Noise Nuisances
The Noise Abatement Act, 1960, which came into operation
on 27th November 1960, enables noise or vibration
which would amount to a nuisance at common law to be dealt
with by the Local Authority as a statutory nuisance. In
London, similar provision was already contained in Section
66 of the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1937, but the new
legislation has amended this to include vibration and to
substitute for the words 'excessive or unreasonable or
unnecessary noise which is injurious or dangerous to health'
the words 'noise which is a nuisance'. It is still a
defence, however, in any proceedings for the defendant to
prove that the best practicable means have been used for
preventing, and for counteracting, the effect of the noise
or vibration.
Although during the year several complaints were
received of noise from factories, it did not become necessary
to take any statutory action. With the co-operation
and goodwill of the management every effort was made to
reduce any noise or annoyance to aminimum, and the premises
concerned are being kept under observation to see what
further action, if any, may become necessary.
There is no doubt that noise in built-up areas is a
growing problem, particularly in districts where factories
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