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SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Sewerage and sewage disposal in the City of London are the responsibility of the City
Engineer who has supplied the following information:-
"The sewerage system in the City is comprised mainly of ovoid shaped brick sewers, the
average internal dimensions being 1219mm x 813mm wide, this size being adopted only to provide
access for sewerman, as the normal dry weather flow depth of effluent is only about 228 mm at an
average velocity of 609 to 914 mm per second.
The Corporation sewers discharge into the Greater London Council intercepting sewers which
flow eastwards across the City at a much lower depth to their Beckton Sewage Treatment Works.
In my opinion, the system of sewerage in the City is adequate, with ample margin for diverting
flows from sewers during reconstruction and maintenance works."
NOISE
No Medical Officer of Health with responsibilities in the Inner London area can view with
equanimity the bitterness and persistence associated with complaints about noise. The complaints
arise from noise being created throughout the twenty-four hours of a day, and this implies that
staff must be available to investigate trouble during normal working hours and, due to the noise
predominately occurring during people's leisure hours, at night time and on Saturdays and
Sundays.
Day-time noise interferes with commerce, and in many instances the building industry have
co-operated in carrying out their noisy work before 10.00 a.m. and not starting again until after
4.00 p.m. As a compensating factor they wish to work on Saturdays and Sundays or later than
normal in the evening, but this again intrudes on residents' leisure and sleeping time and naturally
there is great resentment on their part. It follows, therefore, that developers and their architects
must give much more thought in the planning stage to meeting these problems before they arise. It
is rather futile to dismiss such considerations as of no consequence because their noise will last
only two or three months. Some other noise will inevitably follow in an area like the City, where
the processes of demolition and reconstruction seem to be continuous.
Inthese days,when more and more mechanical equipment is installed in buildings-ventilating
fans and motors, standby generators and the like - great care must be exercised when these are
installed in the upper floors that such equipment will not create such noise as will intrude above
the ambient night-time noise levels.
Often there has been criticism from the complainants of the apparent ineffectiveness of the
nuisance procedure under the Noise Abatement Act for dealing with their complaint rapidly. The
built-in defence for the offender of having adopted the best practical means of eliminating the
noise does not necessarily mean that the noise will cease or be effectively reduced, should the
offender convince the courts in this direction. In cases such as this the complainants may be worse
off than they would have been if the staff of the Department had been left to negotiate with the
noise-maker. There may be good grounds for rethinking the law of Noise Abatement.
The most difficult complaints to handle effectively are those from unduly sensitive people,
and these usually arise from low-level noise, in terms of decibels, but which apparently causes
distress to such people by its quality, particularly when they are trying to sleep. Often the complainant
is very unahppy with the inspector investigating the matter and feels that the latter is
prejudiced, even when there is full discussion of the instrument readings.
The sources of such "noises" are often difficult to isolate, and, even when isolated and
corrective measures taken, the complainant is not always convinced. This may be the time when
an independent consultant should be used, subject to some prior arrangement over the fees
involved.
During the year proposals were received to establish a heliport on the river off the north shore
between Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge. Such proposals should be viewed with some misgivings,
since the noise from aircraft can be very intrusive. Furthermore, this area will be subject
to some extensive redevelopment to improve the amenities, including the re-siting of the City of
London School on the banks of the Thames.
During the year great annoyance and distress was caused to some of the occupiers of the
Sarbican Estate by the construction techniques adopted on the Arts Centre. Without arguing the
technical merits of diaphragm walling, it is a system which, it was alleged, must be continuous
and, once started, could not be stopped at the end of a normal working day. Working throughout the
night with noisy machinery made life unbearable for a number of people. It does seem that we
must view with scepticism the rash claims often advanced that equipment or work procedures
cannot be modified. It may be the will is lacking.
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