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36
REFUSE DISPOSAL.
The erection of a refuse destructor is in hand, but pending its
completion, arrangements were made during the year with the
Willesden and Acton Brick Company, whereby most of the refuse
is burnt. The process has not been carried out entirely without a
nuisance, but it is a vast improvement on the practice formerly in
vogue of tipping the refuse on land near the cemetery.
INTERCEPTING TRAPS.
The following letter, dated March 5th, 1907, from the architect
to the Local Government Board, was submitted to the meeting of
the Health Committee held in March :
"The Local Government Board have recently had occasion
to order an investigation to be made of the use of modern intercepting
traps, whether in combination or not with inspection
chambers, such as are required to be provided in many places by
building bye-laws.
In the course of this investigation, which has been entrusted
to Dr. Mair, of the Medical Department, Mr. Malet, of the Engineering
Department, and me, a semi-metropolitan district has come under
review, in which it has been shown that in a large number of instances
a serious blocking of the house drain had taken place at the intercepting
trap, and that, although this had usually resulted in a considerable
accumulation of sewage, both in the drain and in the
inspection chamber, no obstruction had been apparent to the occupier
in the use of the drain.
In these circumstances, it is obviously desirable that we should
obtain further information for the Board from local authorities
in whose districts similar drainage arrangements exist, with a view
to seeing whether the use of intercepting traps is commonly found
liable to lead to these results, and the board have, therefore, instructed
us to invite assistance from your Council, amongst others,
in the matter.