View report page

124
in operation in the district for over three years, I regret that
it may become necessary to take legal proceedings in order to
bring the requirements of the Act more forcibly to the notice
of the defaulters.
In all, the drains of 59 houses were entirely reconstructed
during the year, and the existing drains of no less than 79
other premises were properly repaired, in some instances the
work of repair being of an extensive nature.
This work involved the laying of 1,576 yards of stoneware
and 160 yards of heavy cast-iron coated pipe drains, 56 soil
pipes and ventilating shafts, 25 intercepting traps, 166 stoneware
gullies, 115 w.c. basins, and 23 flushing cisterns were
fixed, and 55 manholes were built. In regard to the existing
sanitary fittings, 87 flushing cisterns, 28 water-closets, 17 soil
pipes and 28 manholes were repaired, and 40 drains were unstopped
and cleansed. Some 65 bath, lavatory and sink waste
pipes were repaired or trapped, and 28 new waste pipes, and
28 new glazed sinks were fixed. A large number of other
miscellaneous items were also properly at/bended to. In connection
with this work 304 water tests, 95 smoke tests, and
44 air tests were applied. The practice which has been
adopted in this department in past years of testing all new
drains with water after the ground has been filled in, and of
passing a steel device through the pipes on completion of the
work, has been continued.
New drains are in all cases constructed with salt-glazed
stoneware or heavy cast-iron coated pipes, laid in a solid bed
of Portland cement concrete, or in the case of cast-iron drains
the pipes are occasionally laid on concrete piers. The drains
are disconnected from the public sewer by means of approved
intercepting traps, and proper means provided for their
efficient ventilation, inspection, cleansing and testing.
A survey is made by your Inspectors on the completion
of each re-drainage scheme, and a block plan of the new
drain is prepared and filed for future reference. These plans,