View report page

12
The Metropolitan Water Board sent seven notifications of premises where the water supply had been
cut off, in six cases for non-payment of rates and in the other for wastage of water caused by a defective
service pipe. At all these premises the supply was restored quickly when the rates were paid or the
defect remedied. It was not necessary for any notices to be served. During the last few days of the
year severely cold weather set in which was later to give rise to much dislocation of water supplies
due to freezing.
Ten certificates relating to the provision of a proper and sufficient supply of water in dwelling
houses were issued under the provisions of Section 95 (2) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
Drainage—Alterations and New Buildings.
Of the 287 drainage plans approved during the year, 40 were in respect of new buildings.
Upon request, the Borough Engineer examined 22 sewer connections and 13 of them were found to
be defective and had to be renewed.
The drainage inspectors made 3,461 visits and no circumstances were found which necessitated
legal proceedings.
Combined Drainage.
Five orders under seal were issued in respect of combined drainage operations.
Sewerage.
The Borough Council's sewers are controlled and maintained by the Borough Engineer and discharge
into the main drainage system of the London County Council, who are responsible for the disposal
of sewage. During the year discussions with the County Council's Main Drainage Department
officers were held in connection with the re-siting of the King's Scholars' Pond Sewer, and the associated
re-connection of branch sewers serving premises in Finchley Road, St. John's Wood Park, Wellington
Road and Acacia Road. The trunk sewer will eventually join up with the deviated line at Wellington
Place/Cochrane Street. There are no disposal plants in the Borough.
Town Planning.
Observations were made by the Department on 208 plans submitted to the Council under the Town
and Country Planning Act, 1947.
Rodent Control.
There were 159 notifications of rats at premises in the Borough, 25 less than in the previous year,
and reports of mice declined from 422 to 366.
It having become evident that block surveys no longer j ustified the time and labour involved, this
routine procedure was discontinued after 30th April, up to which time 2,258 premises in 37 blocks had
been dealt with during 1962.
Sewers are treated by the polythene bag system at approximately eight week intervals, the bait being
applied at side entrances only. "Takes" at most points varied little from time to time but secondary
baiting was carried out wherever they were consistently "good By these means the residual
number of rats in the sewers is kept to a minimum.
Statistics of rodent control are shown in Table 9, page 33.
Disinlestation.
The insecticide used to rid dwelling houses of bugs is kerosene with 5 per cent. D.D.T. and 0.1 p-ir
cent, pyrethrins applied as a spray either by hand or under pressure from a motor compressor, according
to the circumstances. This treatment is also given for flea and similar infestations which occur from
time to time. During the year, 236 rooms were disinfested.
Furniture, more particularly that of people removing to fresh accommodation, is dealt with Dy
hydrocyanic acid gas in specially constructed vans. The Council continued to have this work done
by a contractor and during 1962 the furniture of 6 families, of whom 4 were being rehoused, was
treated by this method. In addition 347 verminous articles of bedding were disinfested by steam.
A small steam disinfector situated in the cleansing of persons section of Welfare Centre No. 2 is
used for the treatment of all articles up to the size of a single mattress. Arrangements with the Council
of the Royal Borough of Kensington for articles above this size to be steam treated in their plant at
Shepherd's Bush have continued to work most satisfactorily.