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56
There can be no objection to this system of gas making for utilisation in
engines instead of coal gas, provided no nuisance is created thereby, but the
trouble in several cases has been caused by the abominable odour of the
effluent which contains sulphuretted hydrogen.
Further it is a direct contravention of the City of London Sewers Act,
1848, to discharge any gas washings into the public sewers. Section 76 is
as under:—
"And be it enacted, That if any Gas Company, or person making,
"manufacturing, or supplying gas, shall at any time empty, drain, or
"convey, or permit or suffer to be emptied, drained, or conveyed, or to run
"or flow, any washings, or foul or waste water, or any noisome or
"offensive liquid, substance, or thing which may arise or be produced in
"the making of gas, into any public sewer or drain, every Gas Company
"or person so offending, shall forfeit and pay the sum of Two hundred
"Pounds for each and every day during which any such washing, or
"foul or waste water or other noisome or offensive liquid, substance, or
"thing, shall be permitted or suffered to flow into any public sewer
"or drain."
It has been found by experiment that the odour of sulphuretted hydrogen
with which these gas washings are charged, can be practically eliminated by
the use of' permanganate of potash, the addition of which to the washings in a
settling tank producing an effluent to which little or no exception can be
taken.
Such treatment abated the nuisance in each of the cases reported last
year, and on the advice of the City Engineer the discharge of the
treated effluent was limited to the hours between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Each case, however, of this kind will be dealt with on its merits, and
the effluent examined from time to time. No further complaints have
been received.
REMOVAL OF CHEMICAL AND DRUG FACTORY.
During the past year one of the largest of these firms have removed their
factory to an outlying district.
While they had taken precautions and carried out a number of works to
prevent the emission of effluvia, the position of the factory, surrounded as
time went on by new and higher buildings, the nature of the business
rendered them very objectionable to, and caused much unpleasantness with,
their neighbours.