View report page

Apart from careful day-to-day control of chlorination by the Baths
Superintendent, the occasional examination of the water has been carried
out by the Laboratory Technician. The results have uniformly shown a
satisfactory degree of alkalinity and of free chlorine and the samples to be
sterile.
(ii) There is an indoor swimming pool at Northampton College. The
water here is circulated, filtered and chlorinated but the plant in use is
somewhat out of date, and detailed control has from time to time been
somewhat difficult. Regular chemical control is maintained by the College
authorities. Chemical and bacteriological examinations have also been made
from time to time by the Laboratory Technician, none of which has given
rise to concern, though the alkalinity and amount of free chlorine has
occasionally been found to be low and complete sterility not maintained.
(iii) An additional covered swimming bath was opened in October, 1963,
on the Golden Lane Estate, owned by the City Corporation, mainly for the
use of residents of the estate, but which is also available to the general
public including schoolchildren.
In all, 7 samples of swimming bath water were taken for analysis
during the summer months.
Public Health Inspectorate:
The establishment of Public Health Inspectors was increased by 1
during 1964, to a total of 11, in order to cope with the Offices, Shops and
Railway Premises Act. Unhappily three Inspectors left during the year for a
variety of reasons, including the attraction of higher salaries. The senior
student successfully passed the first Diploma examination of the Public
Health Inspectors Education Board and was appointed to the Inspectorial
staff. Thus only 7 inspectors remained at the end of the year, and this
acute shortage is illustrated in the diminished volume of work carried out in
the Department.
Sanitary Conditions:
I am glad to be able to report once again that there has been a steady
improvement during the past year of the prevailing environmental conditions
in the homes of the residents. This has been consequent for a large part on
the disappearance of many of the unfit properties. The total number of
complaints made to the department during the year was 862 as against
1064 in 1963.
By a re-arrangement of the work it has still been possible to
investigate most complaints without delay. Generally speaking, the policy
adopted has been to press for the abatement of nuisances by informal action
rather than to take legal proceedings, in this way it has been possible to
preserve better relations with landlords and thus to secure further improvements
which could not be enforced. In spite of the general improvement
referred to there still remains much unfit property deleterious to health in
the Borough.
23