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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Environmental Health Services are truly community services; they make an impact upon every
household. Clean air, unpolluted water, food unadulterated, sound and of proper composition are
basic human needs; or no less importance is adequate living accommodation in good repair and supplied
with amenities and facilities sufficient to meet today's standards.
Under my overall authority and that of my deptuy, the Division is in the charge of the Principal
Public Health Inspector with an Assistant who freely acts as his deputy. The District Public Health
Inspectors and their technical assistants are deployed in three areas, each under the day to day
control of a Senior Area Public Health Inspector.Three Senior Public Health Inspectors have special
responsibility in the fields of atmospheric pollution prevention, food and drugs control and the broad
topic of housing. In addition there is a complement of disinfectors, drain tester, rodent operatives
and mortuary technicians, the whole being supported by divisional clerical and administrative staff
working under a Senior Administrative Assistant.
The staff at Church Farm, Church Hill Road, East Barnet, cover the districts of Barnet, East
Barnet and Friern Barnet; the staff at Green Shield House, Station Road, Edgware, serve Hendon,
Edgware and Mill Hill; and those serving Finchley, Hampstead Garden Suburb and Cricklewood
operate from Gateway House, Regents Park Road, Finchley.
The detailed account which follows shows the ramifications of the work carried out which contributes
greatly to the creation of healthy conditions in which people live, work and play.
WATER SUPPLY
Three Companies, namely, The Colne Valley Water Company, The Lee Valley Water Company,
and the Metropolitan Water Board distribute water to the Borough. The supply is satisfactory both
as to quality and quantity.
Samples of raw water and water going into supply are taken by the Companies for bacteriological
and chemical examination, and such were reported to conform to acceptable standards of purity. The
waters are not liable to plumbo solvent action.
The amount of naturally occurring fluoride varies; water supplied by the Colne Valley Water
Company has a content of less than 0.1 ppm, that supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board has
a content of 0.3 ppm, and in the case of water supplied by the Lee Valley Water Company, in
general the content is less than 0.2 ppm; with regard to the latter there is a small source in New
Barnet which has a natural fluoride content of 1.05 ppm which is rapidly diluted with water from
another source having a content of less than 0.2 ppm.
The whole district receives mains water direct and no supply is by permanent stand pipe.
FOOD
Part 1 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955, deals with the composition and labelling of food and
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