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All bathing water is subjected to regular chlorination. Automatic filtration
and chlorination plants are installed at the public baths, at the swimming pool used
exclusively by school children and at two of the school pools. Water supply is from
the public water mains except for a school swimming pool supplied by a deep well.
Bathing water samples are tested at the baths at regular intervals during the
day for the presence of free chlorine which is indicative of the effectiveness of the
treatment. Samples are also regularly submitted to the laboratory for bacteriological
examination and chemical analysis. The results of these examinations were satisfactory
in all but six of the 69 samples tested. All the unsatisfactory samples were
bacteriological samples.
The presence of even small numbers of organisms makes a sample unsatisfactory
when judged by the high standard of purification demanded in drinking water and
such was the case with the unsatisfactory samples in question. The chlorine dosage
was increased and all later samples proved to be satisfactory.
The total attendances at the public swimming pools and the slipper baths were
respectively 741,374 and 56,817.
SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
It is the general duty of the local authority to provide for the sewerage of their
district under Part II of the Public Health Act, 1936, certain sections of which deal
with the various provisions relating to sewerage, supplemented by Sections 12 to 23
of the Public Health Act, 1961.
The Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Act, 1961, and regulations made thereunder,
make further provisions for maintaining or restoring the wholesomeness of
the rivers and other inland or coastal waters of England and Wales in respect,
inter alia, of sewerage and sewage disposal.
Certain other provisions in respect of drains and sewers are made in the
Middlesex County Council Acts, 1956 and 1961.
The Borough Engineer and Surveyor is responsible for sewers under the highways,
apart from trunk sewers, which are the responsibility of the Greater London
Council. During the year a new foul sewer was laid in Theobalds Park Road, a
surface water relief sewer was laid in Crown Road/Duck Lees Lane, and three
connections were made to the Greater London Council sewer in the Grange Park
area.
Some rural parts of the borough are not sewered, the houses having water
carriage systems discharging to cesspools or septic tank disposal systems. The
council provides a cesspool emptying service at a nominal charge.
The Health Department undertakes the clearance of sewers on private property,
and 1,806 stoppages were cleared.
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