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52
Drainage and Sewerage.—During the year 480 drains were
tested, 440 were opened, cleansed or repaired and there were 1,123
constructions and re-constructions, alterations and improvements
effected.
Only two cesspools remain in use in the Borough and under
the Borough Engineer's direction these are emptied on request.
One hundred and fifty-four plans of drainage and other sanitary
works relating to existing and new buildings were examined and
approved.
Discharge of Trade Effluents into Sewers.—On the 1st April,
1954, the provisions of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1953, relating to the discharge of trade effluents, etc., into
sewers, came into operation.
Section 4(2) of the Act provides that the " sewer authority "
in relation to the discharge or proposed discharge of any trade
effluent into the London Sewerage system shall be the London
County Council or the local sewer authority (i.e., the City Corpora—
tion or the Metropolitan Borough Council) in whom is vested the
sewer into which the effluent first enters or will enter ; but this
provision is subject to the provisions of section 13 by which the local
sewer authority may, with the agreement of the London County
Council, authorise that Council to perform on its behalf any of its
functions under sections 9 to 12 (relating to requests to traders for
information, imposition of conditions with respect to discharge of
trade effluents, agreements with traders and provision of inspection
chambers at trade premises). Such an authorisation may be subject
to such conditions as may be agreed between the two authorities.
By far the largest proportion of the trade effluents in London
are drained first into sewers vested in the Metropolitan Borough
Councils.
The London County Council enquired whether this Council
intended to ask them to perform its functions under the sections of
the Act mentioned above. They were informed that this Council
itself intended to discharge its responsibilities under Sections 9 to
12 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1953.
Water Supply.—The whole of the Borough is supplied with
water by the Metropolitan Water Board which is a Statutory under—
taking, and the responsibility for its purity rests with that Authority.
There are 23,062 dwellings with direct connections to the Board's
mains.