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12
Pigeons.
Section 121 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, empowers the Council to arrange for the
seizure or destruction of pigeons in excess of such numbers as the Council consider reasonable and,
for this purpose, an authorised pigeon catcher is employed.
Pigeons cause nuisance through fouling, defacement and damage. Where they congregate in
flocks their droppings, apart from being unsightly, produce stench and fly nuisance, and walls and
roofs of houses where these birds nest are similarly fouled. Almost invariably feeding by members
of the public is the cause of pigeons congregating, whilst the remains of food fed to them attract
rats, mice and flies. It is known that pigeons can be vectors of diseases affecting mankind, and their
incessant cooing during nesting gives rise to noise nuisance.
During the year, eight complaints were received. These involved fifty-five visits by the Public
Health Inspectors but after investigation it was found necessary to refer only one case to the pigeon
catcher.
Water.
Although at two blocks of flats and two office buildings water is obtained from private wells, the
chief source of a constant supply throughout the Borough is from the mains of the Metropolitan Water
Board, whose Director of Water Examination has kindly provided the following information:—
"The water supplied to your Borough by the Board has been satisfactory both in hygienic quality
and quantity during 1963. The supply is River Thames-derived filtered water from two main
filtration works, namely Ashford Common and Hampton. There were no new sources of supply
instituted by the Board during the year, nor any important extensions of trunk mains. The general
scheme of supply was the same but 619 yards of service main were laid in the Borough during the
year."
The analytical results of the chemical and bacteriological examination of the water are set out in
Tables 7 and 8, page 33.
The severely cold weather which set in during the last few days of December, 1962, continued
throughout the following January and February. Water service and communication pipes under the
footway were frozen and streets of houses and several office buildings were without a water supply
for weeks. Emergency stand-pipes were arranged in these localities but they too froze and burst.
The Metropolitan Water Board made continuous efforts to de-freeze house supplies by electrically
heating the pipes with direct current, but in some cases even this treatment was unsuccessful.
In the event of a complaint of contaminated public mains water the Metropolitan Water Board
is informed, investigations are made and, if necessary, samples are taken for examination. Complaints
are few and normally refer to unusual taste—which is often due to temporary super-chlorination
following works on the mains. However, one complaint was received of foreign matter in water
and this was found on investigation to have arisen following the disturbance of scale in the pipes by
freezing. This condition cleared quickly and no action was necessary. The Metropolitan Water
Board notified four cases where water supply had been cut off at premises for failure to pay rates.
Supplies were restored after payment had been made and the service of notices was not necessary.
The number of dwellings supplied from public water mains is 24,781, with an estimated population
of 66,883. No stand-pipes are in use and the remaining dwellings, namely, two blocks of flats
comprising units with some 437 residents, obtain water from private wells. It is the practice of the
Department to keep these wells under observation and sample the water every six months. The
Council's Bacteriologist's reports for 1963 indicated the water to be satisfactory. In various properties
in the Borough drinking water is derived from private storage tanks supplied with water from the
public mains. A Borough Council Byelaw requires these tanks to protect water adequately from
the risk of contamination and to be cleaned at least twice a year. During the year it was found
necessary to serve three notices under this Byelaw.
Two certificates relating to the provision of a proper and sufficient supply of water in dwelling
houses were issued upon request under the provisions of Section 95 (2) of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1936.
In common with all other Metropolitan Borough Councils, the Council were in favour of the
Metropolitan Water Board being asked to introduce fluorides into the water supply.
Drainage—Alterations and New Buildings.
Of the 283 drainage plans approved during the year, 40 were in respect of new buildings.
Upon request, the Borough Engineer examined 7 sewer connections and 3 of them were found
to be defective and had to be renewed.