View report page

62
There are approximately 4,500 street gullies in the Borough
which are emptied, flushed and refilled with clean water three to
four times a year. This is done entirely by mechanical means
using two 800 gallon capacity emptying and flushing vehicles.
Street sweepings during the year amounted to 1,063 tons and
continue to show a decrease in volume, as in previous years. From
this it might appear that the general public are becoming more antilitter
minded.
Refuse Collection
The total weight of household refuse, including salvaged waste
materials such as paper, rags and metal, was 21,495 tons, the weight
of the salvaged materials being 923 tons. This was collected from
27,418 premises in the Borough, an average of approximately
16 cwts. each over the whole year or approximately 34 lbs. each
per week. The average weight per 1,000 population per day was
13.2 cwts. Most refuse is collected from householders' individual
bins, but with the increase in blocks of flats in the Borough, more
is being collected from the large communal bins housed in
chambers situated below chutes, into which each individual occupier
deposits refuse.
The scheduled frequency of collection throughout the Borough
is once weekly. In a number of pre-war blocks of flats, however,
sufficient bin storage capacity has not been provided and collections
are made twice weekly and in a few cases three times weekly.
Under new powers given by the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1959, it is now possible to require the provision of
adequate bin storage with satisfactory accommodation in new
buildings or alterations to existing ones.
In the Scavenging and Refuse Collection Sections of the Works
Department, there is difficulty in recruiting suitable able-bodied
employees who are prepared to undertake this arduous form of
labour to fill the vacancies which occur on the retirement of the
existing employees or take the place of those absent from work on
account of sickness.
Refuse Disposal
The whole of the household refuse collected, totalling 21,495
tons, less the 923 tons of salvaged materials, was deposited into
barges by the Council's refuse collection vehicles at the River Jetty,
which forms part of the Council's Tunnel Avenue Depot, and transported
by these barges down the Thames for disposal by controlled
tipping over low-lying waste land near the mouth of the River.
Trade refuse, amounting to 404 tons, was also disposed of in the
same manner. This barging away and disposal of the refuse is
undertaken by a Contractor employed by the Council.