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RIVERS AND STREAMS
No. of inspections 61
No. of samples taken by:
County Engineer 14
(a) Satisfactory 5
(b) Unsatisfactory 9
No. of drainage defects remedied:
(a) In factories 1
(b) In houses 5
(c) In shops 3
The sources of pollution can be analysed as follows:
Sinks and handbasins and baths 6
W.Cs —
Industrial Wastes 1
Soil sewers and drains 3
Several complaints were received in June relating to an unusual pollution of the
River Brent with waste oil. Investigations revealed that this was diesel oil being
discharged into a tributary of the Brent at a point outside Ealing prior to its passage
through the Borough. Inspection of the river banks at various points in Ealing showed
that there were certain places where the oil had accumulated out of the main flow
of the stream and where tree roots and other obstructions were holding it back. A
spell of very dry weather had resulted in a low level of water which prevented a flow
capable of effecting a satisfactory clearance. The Rivers Department of the Middlesex
County Council carried out extensive works in certain areas to clear obstructions in
the river bed to facilitate the flow. No further incidents occurred after June, but some
considerable time elapsed before the condition of the river and its banks became
satisfactory.
Pollution of the river by the discharge of waste water from industrial and domestic
premises is most difficult to trace and a great deal of time may be spent in examining
surface water sewers, and tracing polluted branches to their source, before any
evidence of the actual offending drainage fittings may be found. The persistent
efforts of the Inspectors of the Department over a period of many years has resulted
in a definite improvement in a number of such sewers which discharge to the river.
Additional sinks and other fittings are at times installed in private houses and quite
unintentionally drained to surface water gullies instead of to the gullies connected
to the foul drainage system. When these are found, no difficulty is experienced in
persuading owners concerned to change the connections. The problem is solely one
of detection and constant vigilance is required to keep the matter under control.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
Smoke Control Areas
In 1959 the Minister of Housing and Local Government in Circular No. 5/59 asked
the 325 local authorities on the Department's provisional list of black areas in England
and Wales to consider their domestic smoke problem as a whole; to decide on the
smoke control areas that were needed in order of priority; to decide how many years
it was likely to take to complete their programmes, and to prepare phased programmes
for establishing smoke control areas over the five years from 1959—1963. This
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