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the effect that it had been "necessary, owing to certain work having to be carried out in another part
of the district, to divert the sewage down [the relief] sewer temporarily. The work was completed
at date of letter (25th February), and the sewage reverted to its usual course." A suggestion was
made in the Council's letter for the closing of the sewer ventilators—in Cornwall and Clarendon
Roads—which was done, and the Chief Engineer stated that the County Council had "agreed to
erect a ventilating column over the [relief] sewer in Norland Square "; and this has been done.
No further complaints have been received.
FLOODING OF BASEMENTS OF HOUSES.
On two occasions—in June and December—I had to report the occurrence of serious floodings
of houses in streets in drainage connection with the Counters Creek sewer. In 1906 the County
Council's relief sewer connecting the Middle Level sewer at Basing Road, Cornwall Road, to the
Counters Creek Sewer at Upper Addison Gardens was completed, and, as regards North Kensington,
it appears to have served its intended purpose, no complaint of flooding having been received
from north of Uxbridge Road since. But after a heavy fall of rain on 29th June, numerous houses
were flooded at Russell Gardens, Russell Road, Elsham Road, Holland Road, and Napier Road.
The depth of the water in the houses in the streets named ranged from three inches and four inches
in Napier Road and Holland Road respectively, to twenty-one inches in Elsham Road, and twentythree
inches in Russell Road and Russell Gardens. I put myself in communication with the Chief
Engineer of the London County Council, asking whether he could suggest any explanation of the
occurrence, and say whether it was due to any local and temporary cause not likely to recur when
the works in hand at Holland Road should have been completed? The Chief Engineer expressed
a fear that the area referred to " will not be afforded any great relief by the works [then] being
carried out at Holland Road "; adding that " when the next section of this sewer through the
Borough is completed, relief should be afforded to the district in which the floodings have occurred."
In the second week of December there was a recurrence of the nuisance, restricted to Russell
Road. Not so many houses in this street were flooded, nor to the same extent, as in bygone
years—a fact which testifies to a considerable degree of success of the remedial works; the
rainfall on several successive days had been exceptionally heavy. Occupiers of houses in Russell
Road were, as usual, under the impression that the nuisance was attributable to defect in the Council's
sewer, whereas it is really due to the basements of the houses being at a lower level than the
crown of the sewer. Measures for minimising the risk of inundation carried out at some of the
houses, have proved largely successful, and it is hoped that similar measures, recommended for
adoption at other houses, will be undertaken ere long.
In June I addressed a report to the Works Committee with reference to complaints of inhabitants
of Stanley Gardens as follows:—
"I have received several complaints recently from inhabitants of houses in Stanley
Gardens of offensive effluvia which they believe to be sewer smells proceeding from openings
connected with the sewers in the vicinity. The cause for complaint was especially connected
with the pipe ventilator carried up St. Peter's Church, Kensington Park Road, some
time since. On the 19th June the Borough Engineer closed this pipe, but the complaints
did not cease. There is a pipe ventilator carried up above the windows at No. 10, Stanley
Crescent, erected a good many years ago by the late Vestry. I think it desirable that this
pipe be examined to ascertain whether it is acting*, as it may not improbably be choked
with rust. Personally, I find it difficult to believe that the pipe at St. Peter's Church can
have been the cause of the recent complaints. I think it desirable to close surface ventilators
and to syphon-trap any brick gullies in Kensington Park Road near Stanley Gardens,
and to depend for the ventilation of the sewers in the vicinity on the two ventilating shafts
adverted to, and I beg to recommend accordingly."
A good deal of work of the sort indicated was carried out in the vicinity by the order of the
Committee; but I had my doubts whether the smells complained of emanated from the sewers.
COMBINED DRAINAGE.
Several of the metropolitan sanitary authorities made representations to the County Council,
in 1894, on the need of legislation, "with a view to an alteration in the definition of the word
drain and the word sewer" in the Metropolis Management Act, 1855 (sec. 250), and ultimately a
deputation representing the Vestries and District Boards waited upon the Main Drainage Committee
with reference to the subject. This Committee reported (July 7th, 1894), that "a grievance
exists, and that a heavy responsibility is thrown upon the local authorities to repair combined
drains which were laid down for the benefit of owners of houses, and with the intention that the
*It was found to be defective.