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51
Omission of Natural Lighting and Ventilation to Water Closets
The Byelaws covering this matter, which have been in existence
for many years, allow an internal water closet or bathroom provided
that it has suitable means of artificial lighting and a suitable system of
mechanical ventilation. It is generally thought that this byelaw was
designed primarily to deal with hotels, large office blocks etc. where
natural lighting and ventilation would be extremely difficult and where,
because of the user of such premises, no nuisance or aesthetic objection
would be likely. From time to time however, in other boroughs in the
last 20 or so years, the County Council has put up blocks of flats involving
residential accommodation only, where the water closets and bathrooms
have not been naturally lighted or ventilated; and by and large the
boroughs concerned have not objected to this, although it is known that
in some cases objection was taken and was persisted in.
A year or so back information was received from the County Council
to the effect that it was proposed to erect two blocks of flats in Lewisham,
these blocks having internal bathrooms and WCs with mechanical
ventilation only. The Health committee had previously taken objection
to the principle involved and accordingly in this case correspondence
occurred between the Health department and the appropriate department
of the County Council. As far as the Health department is concerned
the points against having only artificial lighting and ventilation to water
closets and WCs can be summarised as follows :—
1. Sunlight and even diffuse daylight are known to have a marked bactericidal
effect on many kinds of organism capable of causing, and frequently causing,
human disease. This bactericidal effect does not occur with artificial light.
2. Pathogenic bacteria grow much more rapidly in a warmer, moister atmosphere
and therefore they will grow more rapidly in a WC which is enclosed
than in one exposed—even if only by airbricks and an occasional opening
of the window—to cool fresh air.
3. Mechanical ventilation depends on machinery and machinery can break
down. Although the machinery for extraction of air is duplicated, there is
nothing to show that the electric supply for this will be duplicated—in other
words, that there will be an emergency supply from a source other than
the mains.
4. The aerial change of 750 cubic feet per hour is probably insufficient in
certain circumstances, which may well occur particularly in poorer class
property. In such property crowding or overcrowding is more likely, and
intestinal diseases or upsets are at least as likely and probably slightly more
so, than in better-class property. As a result the sanitary convenience is
likely to be used more, and there is consequently a greater likelihood of
unpleasant intestinal smells escaping into the ordinary living rooms. These
besides being aesthetically unpleasant may have a more definite psychological
effect.
5. It is of importance from the public health aspect that lighting and ventilation
in housing accommodation should be as simple and direct as possible. While
the working of electrical and mechanical apparatus is no doubt within the
competence of many people it is not within the competence of all, and the
lower the intelligence (and usually the hygiene) the less likely is technical
apparatus to be well maintained.