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56
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
Orders have been made by the Council—under Sec. 74 of the Metropolis Management
Act, 1855—for new systems of combined drainage at:—
Nos. 6, 7, and 8, Hall Place.
Nos. 9 and 11, Harrow Road.
Nos. 38, 40, and 42, Herries Street.
Nos. 10 and 17, North Wharf Road
Nos. 3, Portsdown Road and
3, Kilburn Park Road.
No. 128, Hall Place, and workshop in rear.
Nos. 413 and 415, Harrow Road.
Nos. 3, 4, and 5, North Wharf Road.
Pickford's Yard, Harrow Road.
On the Oueen's Park Estate the combined drains of the following blocks of houses were
reconstructed during the year:—
Droop Street, Nos. 68-84 (even).
Huxley Street, Nos. 1-47 (odd).
Ilbert Street, Nos. 103-119 (odd).
Sixth Avenue, Nos. 2-48 (even).
Nutbourne Street, Nos. 24-58 (even).
Fifth Avenue, Nos. 131-145 (odd).
Oliphant Street, Nos. 90-128 (even).
Sixth Avenue, Nos. 104-118 (even).
Lothrop Street, Nos. 82-118 (even).
Marne Street, Nos. 87-99 (odd).
Fifth Avenue, Nos. 99-113 (odd).
Kilburn Lane, Nos. 28-160 (even).
Ilbert Street, Nos. 158-170 (even).
Oliphant Street, Nos. 1-109 (odd).
Sixth Avenue, Nos. 88-102 (even).
Marne Street, Nos. 82-112 (even).
Fifth Avenue, Nos. 115-129 (odd).
Nutbourne Street, Nos. 69-101 (odd).
In each case the main and all branches were re-laid with the maximum fall obtainable,
gullies substituted for lip-traps, and rain-water pipes disconnected. The new drains were
carefully tested with water. The branch drains had been tested with chemicals before
the work was commenced, and a large percentage of them found to be defective. At 48
other houses where cases of infectious illness occurred during the year, the drains were
similarly tested, and 20 proved to be defective. At 18 other houses where rats were
complained of 15 were similarly proved to be defective.
The new drains have been plotted on the Ward Map with the dates of reconstruction,
thus affording a permanent record for future reference.
Sewers.—Complaint was made in June of offensive smells in the neighbourhood of
Kensington Gardens Terrace. The smells were traced to the ventilating grids at the
junction of the Terrace and Bayswater Road. At this point the Ranelagh Sewer joins
the Mid Level Sewer. Complaints of effluvia from this point have been frequently made in
past years, but have been less frequent during 1902-04—probably owing to the cooler
summers and greater rainfall. The County Council has been urged to provide an upcast
shaft and to close the grids, but nothing has resulted.
The inadequacy of the Ranelagh Sewer to take the growing volume of sewage which is
associated with the extension of residential property in North Paddington and (part of)
Willesden, is generally admitted. On July 25th there was a recurrence of the flooding on the
occasion of a rainfall somewhat in excess of the average. The flooded area included parts of
Ranelagh Road, Senior Street, and Westbourne Terrace North, with the smaller cross streets.
In this neighbourhood the maximum height of the flood was 3 ft. above the surface of the
ground. The flood lasted about an hour and a half. Much filth was left behind, especially
under the floors of basement rooms. The inadequacy of the Ranelagh Sewer caused some of
the subsidiary sewers to overflow, and floodings occurred in parts of Formosa Street, Shirland
Road, and Warrington Crescent.