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59
Flooding from seuiers.
In December the Council had under consideration a report by the Main Drainage Committee
referring to the flooding of houses by sewage, and which stated that the Council's engineer was of
opinion that in order to bring the main drainage system up to date, works, estimated to cost about
£2,947,000, should be carried out by the Council. These works were as follows—
North of the Thames.
(a) Barking to Old Ford, two new sewers and extra works at Barking £725,000
(h) New sewer between high-level and middle-level sewers 270,000
(c) New sewer between middle-level and low-level sewers 500,000
(d) Extension of middle-level sewer to Scrubs-lane 12,000
(e) Additional pumping machinery at Abbey-mills 120,000
£1,627,000
Soidh of the Thames.
(/) Crossness to Deptford, new sewer (low level) £500,000
(g) Crossness to Catford, new sewer (high level) 520,000
(h) Deptford to Battersea, new sewer 300,000.
£1,320,000
Total for both sides of the Thames £2,947,000
The report stated th&t " while convinced of the necessity of ultimately constructing the whole
of the above new sewers and of certain extensions of the same, the engineer suggests that, in the first
instance, only those between Barking and Abbey-mills (part of (a)), Crossness and Deptford, and
Crossness and Catford should be put in hand, inasmuch as the sewers near the outfalls must be completed
before those more to the west are commenced."
The resolutions adopted by the Council were—
(а) That the estimate submitted by the Finance Committee be approved, that two additional outfall
sewers, each 9 feet in diameter, be constructed between the Abbey-mills pumping station and the
Barking outfall, and that the engineer be instructed to prepare the necessary drawings of the new
sewers and other incidental works at the Barking outfall, together with detailed estimates of the cost.
(б) That the estimate submitted by the Finance Committee be approved, tjjat an additional outfall
sewer, 11 feet 6 inches in diameter, be constructed between the Deptford pumping station and the
Crossness outfall works, and that the engineer be instructed to prepare the necessary drawings of the
sewer and incidental works at Crossness, together with detailed estimates of the cost.
(c) That the estimate submitted by the Finance Committee be approved, that a portion of the
suggested new sewer from the Crossness outfall to Catford, so far as that sewer will be placed over the
proposed new sewer from Crossness to Deptford, be constructed, and that the engineer be instructed to
prepare the necessary drawings of the sewer and incidental works at Crossness, together with detailed
estimates of the cost.
The medical officer of health of Kensington gives account of flooding of the basement of
houses in July and September, which he states is due to the insufficiency of the main sewers—more
particularly the Counter's creek sewer—to carry off storm water. He mentions the steps taken by the
vestry to urge the Council to provide a remedy, and adds that " the Council acquired the necessary
land at Lots-road, Chelsea, and the work has been put in hand." In Newington, the medical officer of
health states that, " We know that grave pollution of the subsoil of the parish does take place during
storms by the number of houses more or less flooded by sewage." In Battersea, complaints as to
flooding of 833 houses were received. Of these it was found that in 43 houses little or no flooding
had occurred, and in 93 other cases the flooding was due either to surface water only, or the sewage
flooding was confined to yards and areas. " In the majority of cases, however, sewage flooding of a
serious character was found to have occurred, in many houses rising above the damp courses, and in a
considerable number saturating the wooden floors, the resulting bad effects being maintained for a
long time; the solid constituents of sewage being to a varying extent deposited on the
soil beneath the flooring, the smells therefrom being a subject of general complaint." Inquiry as to
sickness in the flooded houses was made, and the medical officer of health states that, " It was exceedingly
difficult to prove that this flooding had been the direct cause of any considerable degree of
sickness ; nevertheless, many cases of sore throat, rheumatism, bronchitis, and other affections of the
respiratory organs occurred after the date of the floodings at the premises visited ; and although these
diseases and ailments were such as might arise from many other causes, yet they had occurred since
the flooding," The medical officer of health of Plumstead states that flooding of houses occurred in
Benares-road and Reidhaven-road; improvements were made in the sewers.
Nuisance from sewer ventilators.
Nuisance from sewer ventilators is discussed in many of the reports of medical office: s of health.
In Kensington, the medical officer of health writes: " During the hot and dry summer weather
numerous complaints were received of offensive smells in the streets proceeding from untrapped gullies
and sewer ventilating openings in the roadways." The nuisance occurred in connection with sewers
under both the Council's and vestry's jurisdiction. The Sanitary Committee inquired of the sanitary
authorities of thirty towns as to their experience in ventilating sewers. With respect to nuisance from
street gullies, Dr. Dudfield recommended the substitution of syphon-trapped for brick catch-pit gullies.
In Hampstead complaints as to nuisance from gullies and gratings were less frequent during the year.
In Lambeth the vestry adopted recommendations of the medical officer and surveyor as to the method