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52
River Lee
Attention was directed to unpleasant conditions in the river Lee in the neighbourhood
below Tottenham Lock.
During May last, an inspection was made of the river Lee Navigation from
Tottenham Lock to Lee Bridge. It was observed that there was but little offence
above Tottenham Lock. Running beside the Lee, however, and to the west of it,
is the intercepting ditch which carries the water of the Pymmes Brook, which is
largely sewage effluent; it was foul and bubbling, but there was an appreciable
current of water. Below the Lock, this intercepting ditch discharges into the Lee
and the stretch of water from this point for some two miles was almost stagnant.
Bubbling was conspicuous and a sour unpleasant smell was observable. The surface
of the water is so thickly covered with debris and fermenting matter from the river
bottom as to retard the movement of boats and barges.
Below Lee Bridge the waterway divides ; the left-hand or eastward branch
(the Lee proper) skirts round Hackney Marsh, where it forms the county boundary,
and there was a distinct current though, as the stream was very shallow, but a small
volume of water was being carried down ; The right-hand branch is the Hackney
Cut Navigation and is much more stagnant and foul than the left-hand branch.
The river is largely used for boating, and two bathing parties were seen. The conditions
were quite unsuited for either bathing or boating.
Other rivers
flowing
through the
county.
During 1922, it has been found necessary to give further attention to the river
Wandle. This river receives large volumes of sewage effluent from two sources and
is used as cooling water at the power station of the L.S.W.R. immediately before
it enters London. The opening of the penstocks by mill-owners, and the cleansing
of the bed of the river by the Council, has alleviated the conditions, but little real
improvement can be hoped for until some time after the new work, being carried
out bv the Wandle Valley Joint Sewerage Board, is completed.
Lewisham
riversRavens.
bourne and
Pool.
Attention was also drawn to the state of the Ravensbourne, and its tributary,
the Pool, which, flowing from the S.E. and S.W. respectively, join near Catford
Bridge and flow into the Thames at Deptford Creek. A topographical and chemical
examination showed that, although both rivers are used to an undesirable extent as
receptacles for disused metal and earthenware vessels, etc., neither was in an offensive
condition, although there were indications in the water of the Pool river of
contamination with sewage or similar matters. The mineral content of the water
of this river is much greater than that of the Ravensbourne.
Hertford
sewage.
Attention was drawn to the discharge of sewage effluent from the Hertford
Sewage Works into the Manifold Ditch. Arrangements were made for the Manifold
Ditch to be inspected and for samples of the water to be analysed by the Council's
Chemist, who reported that chemical and topographical considerations alike pointed
to the water of the Manifold Ditch as being unfit for discharge into a river-especially
a small one-above a drinking water intake. These conclusions were transmitted
to the Lee Conservancy Board, who, in thanking the Council, stated that pressure
was being brought to bear upon the Hertford Corporation to carry out its proposed
new sewage works.
Inter-
Departmental
Committee
on the
Thames and
Lee Conservancies.
On the 29th June, 1922, the Council s Medical Officer of Health gave evidence
before the Inter-Departmental Committee of the Ministries of Transport and Health
on the Thames and Lee Conservancies as to the conditions of the river Lee below
Tottenham Lock down to Lee Bridge, with special reference to the inspection
of the stream referred to above, dealing with it principally from the point of view
of the possible effect upon the health of the inhabitants of East London.