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Some minor cases of pollution of water-courses have arisen,
one being that of a small roadside tributary of the river at
Hackbridge, which was polluted by drainage from Carshalton, by
which much nuisance was created in the hot weather. The
Carshalton authority, on complaint made by this Council, called
upon those responsible to prevent the pollution.
Attention was attracted during the year to a proposal of the
Croydon Corporation to sink new wells and adits in the chalk at
Waddon. It is alleged by geologists that this action will tap
the main underground channels supplying the springs at the head
of the Croydon Wandle, and that the amount of water thus
diverted from the river will only be limited by the engine
power provided for pumping. The matter has been taken up by
the riparian and mill owners interested in the volume of water in
the river, but in mentioning the proposal to the Committee I
pointed out that if there is justification for the fears of the
geologists, the difficulty of minimising the effects of river pollution
will be exaggerated by the diminution of the river water's diluting
and flushing powers.
X.—REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL.
At the commencement of the year the systematic collection
of house refuse was carried out as formerly in Mitcham, Merton,
Beddington, Wallington, and Purley, part of Coulsdon parish
Before the close of the year the Council 'commenced arrange
ments, as a result of representations made by the Inspectors of
Nuisances, to carry out similar collection from all the houses in
the parish of Morden, and from those of the cottage class in
Kenley and Smithambottom in Coulsdon parish. In the latter
parts of the District the collection is to be made every fortnight,
but in the former it is made weekly.
The collected refuse is disposed of on waste ground, but the
Council have been invested with urban powers recently to