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142
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
(15.) Special inspections were also made this year of several
localities in consequence of complaints of smell from sewer
ventilators.
These complaints were not so numerous this year as in
1906, doubtless due to climatic conditions.
In all 122 complaints were received, nine from Clapham
North Ward, 11 from Clapham South Ward, 12 from Putney,
20 from Streatham, 19 from Balham, six from Tooting, 21
from Southfield, none from Fairfield, and 24 from Springfield.
All these complaints were forwarded to the Surveyors,
who reported that in every case the necessary cleansing and
flushing or other work had been carried out.
(16.) In September I reported to the Public Health Committee that
I had inspected the River Wandle at the outfall of the
Croydon Rural Sewage Farm and that I was of opinion that
the effluent was offensive, and the Committee instructed me
to take samples of the effluent for analysis. This was done on
the 23rd September, and the report of the Analyst showed
that this effluent was sewage that had undergone no
purification. The sample gave the following results:—
Free and saline Ammonia 2.352 grains per gallon.
Albuminoid Ammonia 01575 » „
Oxygen absorbed at 8o° F.—
In 15 minutes 0.5181 „ „
In 4 hours 0.8818 „ „
Nitric Nitrogen None
Chlorine 5.3 „ „
Total solid matter 44.1 „ „
The attention of the Thames Conservancy and the Croydon
Rural District Council was called to the matter, and the
latter stated in reply that their records to some extent confirmed
the report of this Council's Analyst. The reason for
the impurity of the effluent was, it was stated, because certain
experimental works were being carried out in connection with
the temporary working of the filters.