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The Borough has a total of approximately 700 shops which are
largely sited along the four main roads in the Borough in two main
shopping centres.
The water supply of the Borough is a mixture of well water from
West Wickham, Orpington and Shortlands pumping stations with
River Thames derived filtered water. These wells are in chalk strata
and the Shortlands well is 250 feet deep.
The natural fluoride of these sources varies and estimated in
milligrammes per litre is 0.05—0.15 in the West Wickham well, less
than 0.05 to 0.25 in the Orpington well, 0.05—0.25 in the Shortlands
well and 0.2—0.25 in River Thames derived water.
Three Public Swimming Baths (modernised in 1938) of 100 ft.,
80 ft., and 70 ft. lengths are supplied from a borehole 300 ft. into chalk
strata. The method of treatment is by rapid pressure, filtration and
chlorination with a change over period of one in four hours' duration.
As a check on the efficiency of chlorination plant, every two weeks,
and more frequently at times of excessive load, a 100 c.c. sample of
water from the exit end of the Baths is taken in the middle part of the
day and tested for B. Coli in the Laboratory of the Establishment.
Three or four times a year, full bacteriological examination at a Public
Health Laboratory is carried out. Results even at times of heaviest
bathing loads have been very satisfactory.
Beckenham possesses quite a large number of Industrial and
Commercial Firms, but most of the Industries fall in the category of
"Light Industry," and the majority come under the general heading
of Engineering.
The Industries are almost confined to two main zones of the
Borough on the Northern and Southern edges, and in all, employ
7,000 persons, the greatest number being in the engineering firms.
Twenty-four establishments employ 50 or more employees. The main
industries are concerned with the production of drugs, serums, vaccines,
chemical apparatus, electric tools and electric motors, electronic
equipment, compressed air equipment, including spray guns for paint
or cellulose, bronze nameplates, vitreous enamelled, perspex and plastic
signs and letters, bronze founding, metal founding, sheet metal work,
general engineering and grading of scrap metals, office accessories,
motor accessories, glues and adhesives, cellulose lacquers, leather
products, protective food packaging, dyers and cleaners and almond
millers. Smaller firms are concerned with printing, film bag manufacture,
landscape gardening and rustic work.
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