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58
At the end of the year the drains of 14 houses which had
been found to be in a defective condition were being dealt
with.
New drains are, in all cases, required to be constructed
with salt-glazed stoneware, or heavy cast-iron coated pipes,
laid on a solid bed of Portland cement concrete. The drains
are disconnected from the public sewer by means of approved
intercepting traps, and proper means provided for their efficient
ventilation, cleansing and testing. As usual, the water test
was applied to the drains, both before and after the ground
was filled in, and plans were subsequently made by the
Inspectors of each drain re-laid, which, together with other
necessary particulars, are filed for future reference.
I am glad to say that considerable improvement has taken
place in the class of work executed in connection with new
soil pipes and w.c.'s. Until a few years ago it was not an
uncommon practice in the district to use light iron rain water
pipe for soil pipes, and zinc pipe for ventilating shafts. Work
of this character is. in my opinion, very unsatisfactory, for the
putty joints of the iron pipe, and the solder seams of the zinc
pipe, soon become defective. The danger arising from such
defects is considerably increased by the fact that at least one
joint of each soil pipe is inside the house, and many of the
other joints outside are usually in close proximity to windows.
Happily, work in this connection is now required to be of a
more permanent character. Both the soil pipes and ventilating
shafts are constructed of solid drawn lead or strong castiron
coated pipes, the joints being respectively "wiped solder,''
or "caulked lead" joints. The connections between the soil
pipes and w.c. basins are made with Portland cement.
Of the 105 houses re-drained during the year, 71 were provided
for by means of twenty combined systems of drainage.
Five of the main drains, involving 22 houses, constituted
sewers within the meaning of the Public Health Acts, and