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rendered fit and the inspections made for this purpose. Although
not so apparent in this District as in less fortunate areas, this
trend reflects in some respects the increasing economic difficulties
associated with the repair of sub-standard houses which are let
at low controlled rents, upon which comment has been made
in recent years.
While the amount of building repair work carried out in
consequence of war damage has also had an important bearing
on housing work and statistics in the post-war years, with the
rapid settlement of claims this will have less influence in the
future.
The systematic inspection of houses as visualised by the
Housing Consolidated Regulations is by virtue of these and
other considerations impracticable at the present time.
Notwithstanding these retarding influences, however, considerable
success has been achieved in dealing with the more
urgent items of repair.
The figures for overcrowding, although obviously incomplete,
reveal an appreciation of the problem and a readiness on the
part of the Council's Housing Department to assist in the more
urgent cases.
WATER SUPPLY.
The water supply of the District was, as in previous years,
provided by the Sutton and District Water Company and the
East Surrey Water Company, with a private supply supplementing,
as necessary, at Cane Hill Hospital.
No samples of raw water were taken during the year but
routine samples of the treated water were submitted quarterly
for bacteriological and chemical examination. In addition,
8 samples were obtained for bacteriological examination only,
making 24 samples in all.
In addition, both the Water Companies and the Local
Authorities sharing these public supplies provided the Department
with copies of the reports on the samples taken by them.
No complaints were received during the year with regard to
the quality or quantity of water supplied by the Companies,
and no unsatisfactory reports were received on the samples taken
in the District.
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