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37
We would suggest that your Council should allow their officers
to undertake, under the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health,
the systematic inspection of as large a number as may be practicable
of easily assessible insertion chambers at intercepting traps, in
order to ascertain facts as to their condition, and that these fact
should l>e recorded so as to show formarily:—
1. The number of traps examined.
2. The number of cases in which :—
(a) the intercepting trap is blocked,
(b) an accumulation of sewage in the chamber,
(c) though no accumulation at present exists, appearance
of the chamber shows that there has been accumulation,
(d) the " cap " of the raking or cleansing arm is displaced.
It might be useful also, if in a few selected cases of obstruction
of the trap, steps were taken to ascertain the exact cause of the
obstruction.
It is important for the purpose of the present investigation
to exclude from examination the traps of any drains which may
be liable to backwatering of sewage from the sewer. Although it
is not expected that the above inquiries should be made by your
Council's officers in a very short time, especially as their value
will largely depend on the total number of chambers examined,
it is hoped that they may not take very long, since it would seem
that they may be made in the course of ordinary inspectional work.
We should also be glad if your Council's technical officers
would submit any observations on the subject which their experience
of it may suggest, and which they may desire to make. Will you
kindly inform me whether your Council will be good enough to assist
in the investigation in any way proposed? It will be understood
that the use of any information supplied in response to this letter
will not involve disclosure of the district to which it relates."