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SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
The environmental health functions of the Department have been carried out systematically, but as
the number of qualified public health inspectors in post could not be brought up to the approved
establishment, careful planning has been necessary to ensure that the most essential work received
priority. This has resulted in less time being spent on several facets of the work than the department
would have wished.
Wherever possible, technical assistants are used to assist the public health inspectors, but until
the full establishment of qualified inspectors can be achieved, it will not be possible to cover all aspects
of the work as completely as one could wish.
The Council recognises the need to provide facilities for the training of new inspectors and at
present have six trainees at various stages of the course. Consideration is being given to increasing
this number in accordance with the revised recommendations of the Public Health Inspectors Education
Board, to one trainee tor every three inspectors in post.
Drainage and Sewerage
There are separate systems ot drainage for soil and surface water. The former connects into East
Middlesex Drainage System and the sewage is treated at Deephams Purification Works, Edmonton.
A technical assistant who has the necessary practical experience of plumbing and drainage works
is continuously engaged in the inspection ot house plumbing and drainage with a view to the detection
of faults by which the pollution of the surface water sewerage system may arise.
During the year he inspected 2,631 premises. As a result ot his findings official requests were
passed to persons having control of 131 specific premises for the necessary corrections to be carried
out. Thepublic health inspectors are responsible † or seeing that this work is done and, where appropriate,
recommendations are made to the Council to take formal action under the Public Health Act 1936. The
selection of areas in which the technical assistant should work is often decided upon information from
the Lee Conservancy Catchment Boardof pollution having been observed by their officers at surfacewater
sewer exits. Tracing operations are then carried out along the main sewer until the area from where the
pollution arises can be isolated, and individual premises in that area are subjected to detailed
examination. This work calls tor systematic and patient examination and the number ot faults found is
in no way indicative of the work carried out.
Flooding
Following the flooding which occurred in 1965, the Council decided to purchase special equipment
foruse incaseof any similar emergencies arising in the future. The equipment which is now held by the
Department will also be available to assist residents in the event of premises becoming saturated from
other causes such as the thawing out of burst pipes following severe winter weather.
The machines which the Council have agreed to make available on loan for other purposes, provided
that they are readily available for use in an emergency, are as follows:-
1. Three 'Tropical' Heaters. These use paraffin fuel and each has a rating of 320,000 B.T.Us per
hour. The hot air is blown out by an electric fan and can be directed by ducting to the points
in the premises which are most saturated.
2. Three petrol-driven 1 1/2" portable pumps. These are easily transported pumps which can be used
for pumping out flooded cellars and each machine will pump 4,200 gallons per hour.
3. One Trembath Dehumidifier. This machine is designed to work in enclosedplaces and is operated
from the main electricity supply. It will abstract eight gallons of water from the atmosphere in
the day and it incorporates a 3 kilowatt heater to raise the temperature in cold weather.
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