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between our staffs and weekly conferences are held between the Scientific Adviser and the
Divisional Engineer (Main Drainage), together with their senior officers, to discuss
analytical results, operational practice and research projects.
In addition to laboratory work undertaken to obtain the best efficiency from the treatment
plant, full attention was given to matters of safety. For example, the utilisation of
sludge gas involved daily safety tests at all potentially hazardous points in the digestion
plant, power house and domestic boiler room.
Trade waste discharges
The Council exercises control under the London County Council (General Powers) Act,
1953 over industrial discharges into the London sewerage system. These discharges have
increased in volume and complexity over recent years and continuous control is needed
to exclude substances which would be hazardous or damage the fabric of the sewers.
Detailed laboratory examinations were made on 3,630 samples of trade waste discharges,
about one-third of this number being submitted by metropolitan boroughs. In consequence
of these examinations, officers of the Scientific branch and of the Chief Engineer's department
visited many premises to discuss with the occupiers the problems involved in treating
the discharges and to give advice.
A number of samples were analysed to provide data for determining' McGowan strength',
so that estimates could be made of the appropriate charges to be levied under the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1962. This Act, as from April 1964, will enable
the London County Council and the metropolitan boroughs to charge for the receipt of
trade waste discharges and for the London County Council to charge for the treatment of
these discharges at the outfall works.
Drinking water
To ensure that the water supplies to Council establishments are of satisfactory quality,
the Scientific branch carries out regular monthly inspections and samplings at those
establishments where supplies are drawn from private wells. The water from these wells
is chlorinated before use by means of automatic dosing plant. Samples of both the raw
well waters and the treated waters are taken for bacteriological and chemical examination.
If pollution is suspected check samples are taken at frequent intervals.
At the request of the hospital management committees, the well supplies at some of the
hospitals formerly under the control of the Council have continued to be regularly
examined.
Because of the excellent system of drinking water examination by the Metropolitan
Water Board, samples are not examined direct from mains supplies but water from storage
tanks is tested in many institutions to check the internal system and to ensure that tanks
are periodically cleaned.
Air pollution
The Council continued its long-standing co-operation with the Department of Scientific
and Industrial Research in investigating the incidence of air pollution, by maintaining
regular observation of the degree of pollution of the atmosphere over the county.
The average figure for sulphur dioxide has not shown any significant change over recent
years, when seasonal fluctuations of temperature are taken into account, but in the case
of smoke there has been a marked reduction reflecting the progress made by the metropolitan
boroughs in implementing the Clean Air Act. By the end of the year, 25 per cent. of
domestic premises in the county were using approved fuels under local Smoke Control
Orders and in many other premises there was voluntary acceptance of the requirements
of the Act.
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