London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hammersmith 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]
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Summonses - Proceedings instituted during the year:
| Public Health Acts | 54 |
| Food & Drugs Act, 1955, and Regulations made thereunder | 38 |
| Housing Act | 2 |
Sewerage.
The main sewers and the sewage disposal system in London are the responsibility of
the Greater London Council. Rainwater and soil sewage are carried in the same sewers, but the
arrangements for Hammersmith are not yet adequate inasmuch as some basements in the Borough
are liable to flooding from time to time when heavy storms cause the sewers to be surcharged.
However, work now being undertaken by the Greater London Council to obviate the trouble caused
by storm water is nearing completion.
Water Supply.
The water supplied to the Borough by the Metropolitan Water Board during 1966 has been
satisfactory both in quantity and quality. It is derived from the River Thames, stored in the
Thames Valley reservoirs, and filtered and chlorinated at the Boards Surbiton, Hampton, and
Ashford Common Works. The average result of chemical and bacteriological analyses of water
supplied is as follows:
Chemical Examinations: (Milligrammes per litre unless otherwise stated).
| Ashford Common | Hampton | Surbiton | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ammoniacal Nitrogen | 0.067 | 0.029 | 0.020 |
| Albuminoid Nitrogen | 0.090 | 0.088 | 0.087 |
| Nitrate Nitrogen | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Chlorides as Chlorine | 32 | 32 | 34 |
| Oxygen abs. from Permanganate 4 hrs. at 27°C. | 1.34 | 1.27 | 1.14 |
| Turbidity (Units) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Colour (Burgess Units) | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| Hardness (Total) | 289 | 286 | 272 |
| Hardness (non-carbonate) | 78 | 76 | 76 |
| pH Value | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Phosphate as PO | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Silicate as SiO | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Sulphate as SO | 68 | 62 | 62 |
| Magnesium as Mg | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Natural Fluoride as F | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Surface Active Material as Manoxol O.T. | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Electrical Conductivity (Micromhos) | 580 | 570 | 560 |
| Bacteriological Examinations: | |||
| Ashford Common | Hampton | Surbiton | |
| No. of samples | 726 | 1136 | 432 |
| Agar plate count per ml: 20-24 hrs at 37°C | 17.8 | 11.4 | 3.8 |
| Coliform count: Per cent. samples negative in 100 ml. | 99.86 | 99.82 | 99.54 |
| E. coli-count: Per cent. samples negative in 100 ml. | 100.0 | 100.0 | 99.77 |
No new sources of supply have been instituted during 1966, nor have there been any
changes in the general scheme of supply, nor any important extensions of trunk mains. Some
1314 yards of newdomestic water main were, however, laid in the London Borough of Hammersmith
during 1966.
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