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PREVENTION OF POLLUTION OF THE RIVER BRENT
The Brent enters the Borough at the boundary with Wembley and Willesden and
leaves the Borough at its boundary with Brentford, thus dividing the Borough of
Ealing into two parts.
Responsibility for the prevention of pollution of the river is shared between the
Middlesex County Council who are responsible for the river itself, and the Borough
Council who are charged with the duty of preventing contamination by surface water
sewer outfalls which discharge along its banks. The river flows through other
industrial areas of Middlesex before entering Ealing and occasional negotiations with
other local authorities to ensure that no major pollution occurs upstream, together
with action by the Department to deal with internal sources of pollution, all help to
ensure that reasonable conditions are maintained within the district.
During 1964 there were no reports of major pollution upstream as in previous
years, but local observations involving 65 inspections were made in an attempt to
trace and deal with unsatisfactory discharges from certain surface water outfalls.
Details of work carried out during the year are as follows:—
No. of inspections 65
No. of samples taken by:
County Engineer 4
(a) Satisfactory 2
(b) Unsatisfactory 2
No. of drainage defects remedied:
(a) In factories 1
(b) In houses 3
(c) In shops 1
The sources of pollution can be analysed as follows:
Sinks and handbasins and baths 4
W.Cs. 2
Industrial Wastes 1
Soil sewers and drains 2
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
Smoke Control Areas
It is satisfactory to report that progress has continued in implementing the Council's
Clean Air programme which will ensure that the whole of the Borough is covered by
Smoke Control Orders by 1974. During 1964, three further Smoke Control Orders
were made by the Council in respect of Areas Nos. 18, 19 and 20, covering 535 acres
and affecting 3,410 dwellings and 138 other buildings. Of these three Orders No. 18
was confirmed by the Minister of Housing and Local Government and will come
into operation on 1st July, 1965. Orders Nos. 19 and 20 were submitted to the
Minister but were still awaiting confirmation at the end of the year. The proposed
dates of operation for these Orders are 1st August and 1st October, 1965, respectively.
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