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23
During the past two years, extensive alterations have been taking place
on the Edmonton sewage farm, which is on the border of the River Lea.
From the public health point of view, the most important alteration is the
building of a huge reservoir—this will facilitate the emptying of sewers in the
lower part of the town. In the past, a potential blockage has been caused by
heavy rains and high tides; manholes have been forced in the lower-lying
districts and sewage has been distributed over the adjacent ground.
Closet Accommodation.
This is wholly of the water-closet type.
Scavenging.
The removal of house refuse is carried out by the Council with the aid of
electric vehicles ; that this is efficient is shewn by the extremely few complaints
received as to non-collection.
In spite of this, one not infrequently sees the gardens of some houses
littered with garbage—ashes, vegetable refuse, old cans and irons, etc.—and
the same can be said of neighbouring gutters and waste pieces of land.
There is no difficulty in obtaining suitable dustbins : if the landlord fails
to comply with Sec. 36 of the 1875 Act, the Council supply the article and
recover the cost.
The Council do not possess a destructor, but all house refuse is dumped in
the neighbourhood of the sewage farm. This dump is of considerable size, and
furnishes an excellent breeding place for rats, for the destruction of which the
Council pay £50 annually.
There are some half-dozen cesspools in the district, these due to the fact
that entry into a sewer is a difficulty, or that it is too far away. These are
attended to by the Engineer's department.
Sanitary Inspection of the Area.
The district is divided into three areas, one Sanitary Inspector being
warded for each area. A fourth inspector carries out house-to-house inspection
under the Housing Regulations, 1910. The work is supervised by the Senior
Sanitary Inspector, who is also Inspector under the Canal Boats Acts.