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In common with many of the London Borough Councils, the City Council is in favour of the Metropolitan
Water Board being asked to adjust the fluoride content of the public water supplies to the optimum
amount necessary to prevent dental caries.
Private Water Supplies — Deep Wells
The water from 77 boreholes is used for drinking and domestic purposes in 58 premises. Of these, 10
bores supply water to 5 premises occupied by Government departments or Crown Agents, and examination
and maintenance of these are in the hands of the Government Chemist and the Department of the
Environment.
In relation to the 67 boreholes in private ownership 157 (107) samples of water were submitted for
bacteriological examination and 49 (41) for chemical analysis. The results of all these tests were satisfactory.
Swimming Bath Water Examination
Monthly examinations were carried out at each of the 11 public swimming baths in Westminster. One
hundren and twenty (113) samples were submitted to the Public Health Laboratory Service for bacteriological
examination, and 119 samples were also examined at the baths for residual chlorine and pH value.
The results of 119 of these examinations were satisfactory. One had a high coliform count and four
others though satisfactory had higher plate counts than usual. These results may have been due to faulty
handling or sampling as in all cases there was an adequate content of free residual chlorine. Satisfactory
results were subsequently obtained from these pools.
River Thames Flood Precautions
The Health Department, in co-operation with other departments of the City Council concerned in
precautions in the event of flooding, has prepared plans to be brought into operation immediately on
receipt of warning by the Police, in accordance with the London Tidal Flood Warning System.
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963
New registrations received in 1972 totalled 925 (783), showing an upward trend attributable to the
occupation of newly-built office blocks. At the end of the year the total number of premises registered was
18,350 (18,230), in which the number of employees is recorded as 377,532 (374,195). When considering
these figures it should be borne in mind that there are deletions and newly registrable premises which may
not become evident until routine inspections have been made. Deletions and new registrations cancel out to
some extent, and the annual total, which is accepted as being slightly less than the real total of registrable
premises, remains fairly stable. The total number of employees is arrived at from original registration
figures and from information arising from inspections. Because of seasonal variations, and changes in the
success or otherwise of business ventures, this figure must be regarded as an approximation only.
Notifiable accidents, most of them of a minor nature, but causing absence from work of three days or
more, totalled 540 (467). This increase is probably an indication of an increasing awareness of the need to
notify such accidents. Investigations revealed minor contraventions in all cases, and in 3 of these the
contravention may have been contributory to the accident.
A considerable amount of work was carried out in connection with the Hoists and Lifts Regulations,
made under the Act.
Reported defects were followed up by informal notices in 337 cases. With the exception of one, these
notices were complied with, or were in the process of being complied with at the end of the year. The
outstanding case was put forward for enforcement action.
Statistics which are set out in Table 18, page 68, include some of those contained in the Annual Report
to the Department of Employment.