View report page

11
Sewage Works.
The Sewage Disposal Works have been visited by me on several occasions.
The system of treatment of sewage has worked efficiently. The effluent from
filter-beds which discharges into a tributary of the Lea has been of a most
satisfactory character.
The treatment of sewage adopted in your district is first, straining; then
treating with chemicals, alum, and lime, and passing into settling tanks. The fluid
portion is filtered through artificially-prepared filter-beds, and discharegd finally
into the stream. The solid portion is pumped on to the land and dug in.
Water Supply.
The water supplied to your district is obtained from deep wells in the chalk
at Barnet. It is a remarkably pure water. Your Council is still considering the
constant supply of water. This matter has already been the subject of two
inquiries by the Local Government Board. By a wise and thoughtful provision
your Council is endeavouring to obtain the sanction of the Local Government
Board to the insertion in the regulations of the Water Company relating to a
constant supply the following provision:—"Provided always that it shall not
be deemed to be an offence against any of the foregoing regulations for any
person to continue to use any pipe, cock, ferrule, valve, cistern, soil pan, bath
or water-closet, or any other apparatus or receptacle fixed or fitted on any
premises before the 18th December, 1889, which, though not in conformity with
the requirements of any such regulations, is sufficient to prevent waste, misuse,
undue consumption, and contamination of the water supplied by the Company."
It is to be hoped the persistent endeavours of your Council in this matter will
be successful. At the present time there are in the district 22 houses not
supplied with water from the Barnet Company, but obtain their supply from
wells or other sources. The number of houses not supplied with water from
the Company is equal to a rate of 1.7 per cent. of the whole number of houses,
the remaining 98.3 per cent. being supplied with the Company's water.
Mortuary.
Your district is without a building suitable for the reception of a dead
body. As your district becomes more populous, it is important to make
provision for such a building as a Mortuary.
Complaints.
During the year complaints were received of bad smells from ventilators
and manholes in the roads in the Central Ward and South Ward. I inspected
causes of smells. In one case I attributed the nuisance to the gradient in a
sewer on the old system not being sufficient to keep the sewer self-cleansing.
In another case the probable cause was the disturbance of sewage matter by
the meeting of a high-level and low-level sewer in a manhole; also the disturbance
of sewage in a manhole near the pumping station. Another cause of nuisance
was that in a new street the few houses connected with sewers were insufficient
to keep the sewer well flushed. I suggested your Authority should consult the
Surveyor as to whether the erection of high ventilators at the places where
complaints were most numerous would get rid of the nuisances; also that flushing
sewers should be more frequently undertaken.
An account of my inspections and suggestions were contained in a lengthy
report which was submitted to your Council, and after consideration referred
to a Committee. During the year I brought to your notice a report to the
London County Council by Mr Parry Laws and Dr. Andrew on the "Result of
investigations on micro-organism of sewage." The report states:—