View report page

27
There were 3,212 tests made in connection with drainage installations
and 46 connections made to the Council's sewers during the
year.
The clearance and maintenance of public sewers is the responsibility
of the Council and maintenance costs are reclaimed from
owners of properties connected to the public sewer. A close
working liaison with the Borough Engineer and Surveyor's Department
implements the rapid clearance and repair of public sewers.
Sewerage and sewage disposal
The trunk sewers and sewage disposal of London are the responsibility
of the Greater London Council, and the local sewers which
discharge into the trunk sewers are the responsibility of the
Borough Councils.
The Council's brick and pipe sewers are regularly cleansed and
are reasonably adequate for their purpose.
Water supply
The bulk of the water supply in Wandsworth, as in other Inner
London Boroughs, is obtained from the mains of the Metropolitan
Water Board who are responsible for its purity. Water supplies
from this and other sources proved satisfactory both in quality
and quantity throughout the year.
To ensure the quality and purity of the water, the Board carry
out daily sampling from the sources of supply, from the treatment
works or well stations and from the distribution system. Any sign
of contamination or any other abnormality is immediately investigated
by the Board, and in this connection a close liaison is maintained
with the Board by the Health Department.
There remain a few houses on the Council's Latchmere Estate
which are supplied with water from the deep wells situated at the
adjoining Latchmere Baths. As referred to in earlier reports, the
Housing Department is taking the opportunity of carrying out
improvements to the properties on the Estate whilst the Metropolitan
Water Board's works of conversion are in progress. These
works necessitate rehousing the families involved and completion
of the Board's work of converting the whole Estate to piped mains
supply continues to be held up because in a few cases difficulties
are still being experienced in finding suitable alternative accommodation
for the families concerned.
All other dwelling houses in the Borough, numbering approximately
96,000. are supplied from the Metropolitan Water Board's
mains.
No artificial fluoride was added by the Metropolitan Water
Board to the water supply in Wandsworth, and where the fluoride