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114
Report read at a meeting of the Public Health Committee on 7th September,
1903—
FLOODING OF BASEMENTS.
Gentlemen,
I have to report that since your last meeting at the end of July,
serious floodings have occurred on three occasions; the last and most
extensive one was on Friday evening September 4th, when the lower
rooms of hundreds of houses in the Borough were flooded with storm water
and sewage to depths varying from one to three feet. Such is now the
grave state of affairs in this district owing to these floodings, that many of
the houses in the Borough are quite unfit for habitation. In addition to
the danger to health arising from this fouling of houses there has been
great injury to property generally. The flooding has been universal with
us and complaints have been received from all quarters of the Borough.
As I have so frequently reported before, this condition of flooding has been
growing for the last ten years. This year it has reached such proportions
as to become not only a grave menace, but a serious injury to the health
of all our residents. The London County Council has had timely warning
for years past of this recurring condition. It can be no satisfaction to our
suffering inhabitants to hear that from time to time the London County
Council is adding to its pumping station plant when matters are year by
year worse.
It must be evident to anyone who has given the subject the least
consideration that something more than an increase in the pumping
station plant is necessary. I have thought for years past that this flooding
which in a more or less degree visits us so regularly, is an important
agent in the propagation of Diphtheria and Phthisis apart from the general
ill-health of the people which must arise from such a foul and disgusting
state of our houses.
This serious injury to good sanitation in our Borough must be very
disheartening, or exasperating to us all according to our individual
temperaments. Our inhabitants are much upset by this flooding, and look
upon the continuance of it as a scandal.
I am,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed), G. MILLSON,
Medical Officer of Health,
7th September, 1903.