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90
The Company's men had commenced work on the repairs to the
pipes of this block before I could test by smoke.
I endeavoured to obtain a water test on the inspection chamber, but
the water leaked away so rapidly that no gaugings could be secured.
The inspection chamber was connected to the 9in. main drain by a
Gin. pipe, and as before mentioned, without any trap. I could not trace
any fresh air inlet to this chamber.
I examined some of the water closets and sinks, finding many of them
leaky. The closets are flushed by 2 and 3 gallon tanks, adjusted to a 2
gallon flush, the flush in most cases being unsatisfactory owing to bends
in the down pipes, and to the bad adjustment of the tanks. I found that
several of the tanks leaked into the closet pans, and that some of the
sinks were not properly jointed to the traps.
The water closets had no provision for anti-syphonage pipes when
orginally fixed, and even now the Company are putting new ones in without
providing anti-syphonage pipes. The necessity for having them is
universally recognised, and the London County Council's printed By-laws
expressly provide for them. Without such a provision the seals of the
traps of a series of w.c.'s are certain to be broken by the partial vacuum
caused in the soil pipe when the discharges from the w.c's practically fill
the soil pipe.
Figures 1 and 2, show closets with and without the provision for
anti-syphonage pipes.
On the 15th I was able to inspect the pipes C and D where the
Company's men had uncovered them. The top joints were apparently
sound but roughly made. The joints at the invert were faulty, allowing
the sewage to leak into the subsoil (under the passage) which was black
and wet.
Tests applied to Block Nos. 121-—140 made November 15th.
I applied water and smoke tests to this block with the following
results:—
The 6in. pipes marked X and Y, on drawing A, were tested with
water in the same manner as the previous block was tested. The head
was however greater, being 3.87ft., or a pressure of 1.9 lbs. per square
inch.
The leakage from the pipe marked X was practically at the rate of
240 gallons per hour and 455 gallons per hour from the pipe marked Y.
I also tested the 6in. pipes L and Z with water, and found the leakage
from L was at the rate of 360 gallons per hour, and 4 gallons per