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43
River Pollution.—According to a recent London County
Council statement, work at the Northern Outfall at Beckton in
Essex, in connection with the improvement of sewage effluent to
be discharged into the River, is expected to be completed by 1958.
A general survey of the main drainage system has revealed a need
for alterations in the original schemes approved by the County
Council between 1946 and 1953 for the Southern Outfall at
Crossness.
This new programme for the Southern Outfall, which is likely
to cost £93/4 million compared with £6,200,000 for the previous
schemes, now provides for primary treatment of the whole of the
dry weather flow plus five times this volume of storm-water and for
full secondary treatment to be given to 72 million gallons of flow
per day instead of the previously proposed 60 million.
To achieve this aim, new primary sedimentation tanks, new
detritus channels and screens will be constructed and the existing
sedimentation channels modified to treat storm-water. The present
pumping plant, which will be insufficient for the new scheme, will
be used for dealing with storm-water and a new electric pumping
station installed to deal with the dry weather flow. In addition,
provision is made for new secondary biological treatment plant, a
new power house, a service launch, and a new pier and jetty for
sludge vessels.
Under the new scheme the amount of sludge for disposal will
be reduced by approximately one-half and it is anticipated that a
substantial saving in costs will be effected.
Completion of the programme is not expected to be delayed
much beyond 1962, at which time it is hoped that the River will
no longer be a source of complaint to residents of Riparian boroughs.
Atmospheric Pollution.—With publicity concerning atmospheric
pollution reaching greater proportions than hitherto, there is
evidence that the public are becoming more " conscious " of this
form of nuisance, not only in respect of smoke but in particular to
the contamination of the air with dust, grit, etc., from processes in
connection with stone-grinding, breeze-block making, road-making
materials, etc. Complaints received concerning such nuisances have
been investigated and a fair measure of success achieved rather as a
result of the ready co-operation of manufacturers than by the
threat of legal proceedings. In the past, control of atmospheric
pollution by the existing legislation has been difficult and limited to
reduction rather than to elimination, but at long last a Clean Air