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70
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 1,061 tons, the
weight of these being largely influenced by the amount of gritting
required during the winter period.
Refuse Collection
The total weight of household refuse collected for the year
ending March 1962 was 21,651 tons including 611 tons of salvaged
materials.
This was collected from 27,219 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 13.9 cwts. Most of the refuse is collected
from householders' individual bins, but with the increase in blocks
of flats in the Borough more is being collected from 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.
By virtue of 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 and converted
buildings. To save labour as far as possible the use of large bins
is encouraged as these are tipped into the refuse collection vehicles
by mechanical means.
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 illness.
Refuse Disposal
Up to January 1962 the whole of the refuse collected less the
611 tons of salvaged materials was deposited into barges at the
River Jetty which forms part of the Council's Tunnel Avenue