View report page

203
Relief Sewer
By the end of the year, work on a relief sewer from Pelton Road
to Deptford pumping station designed to take the drainage of the
new southern approach road to Blackwall Tunnel, was well
advanced.
Flooding, which has often presented itself in the Marsh Ward
area at times of heavy rainfall, is expected to be relieved by this
sewer which the G.L.C. estimated will cost just over £1 million.
Radioactive Substances Act, 1960
The Act is concerned with the control of the accumulation and
disposal of radioactive wastes and, as from 1st December, 1963,
persons keeping or using radioactive material will, unless exempted,
be required to register with the Minister of Housing and Local
Government and obtain authorisation from him for the accumulation or disposal of radioactive waste.
No copies of certificates of registration were received from the
Minister during the year.
Water Supply
London's increasing population has repeatedly created problems
in the maintenance of an adequate supply of water for domestic
purposes. Demands today are already onerous but, with a growing
population and greater attention being paid to personal and public
hygiene, these are becoming more clamant.
As a county London is unique in that it is practically wholly
developed. Over the years, building and drainage have disturbed
the natural flow of water and such resources as were available have
been rendered useless for the supply of pure water. Deficiencies
in overground supplies within the county are met by tapping outside sources and water from the higher reaches of the Thames and
the Lea together with the exploitation of the underground waterbearing strata form the bulk of London's supplies. Indeed, for
some considerable time now, water from springs, streams and wells
has been dwindling and greater use has had to be made of the
Thames which now contributes more than two thirds of the total
of the Metropolitan Water Board's supplies.
Regrettably, rivers and their tributaries are themselves becoming
polluted and this modern necessity for "re-using" water for
domestic purposes is not without its hazards although, to date,
these have been successfully dealt with by the Board.