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Swimming Baths and Paddling Pools
Public health control of the public and privately owned pools is maintained by regular sampling on
behalf of the Health Department of water for bacteriological and chemical examination from the
swimming pools in the Borough by special chemists on the staff of the Scientific Branch of the Greater
London Council. Samples are similarly taken from paddling pools in the parks when these are in
use during the summer months.
The filtration and chlorination equipment at the swimming baths is highly efficient and the analyses
generally give very good results but the paddling pools which lack efficient dosing installations
present a problem during school holidays when, in hot weather, they may be heavily used.
The Baths Department are advised of the results of the tests in respect of Counci I controlled
establishments so that they may be used to supplement the tests undertaken by the staff of that
Department.
Smoke Control Areas
The whole of the Borough became smoke controlled on 1st December 1968 and other boroughs in
Greater London continue to expand their areas of smoke control which must have a beneficial effect
on the atmosphere in Haringey since the prevailing south-westerly winds must carry air across other
London Boroughs to this area.
The steady conversion from coal gas to North Sea gas is leading to the closing of coal gas works
with the consequential loss of gas coke. Some concern must be felt at the elimination of this source
of solid smokeless fuel, particularly for approved open fires and it is hoped that alternative supplies
at comparable cost will be available to meet this deficiency.
Furnace Installations
41 notifications were received in accordance with Section 3 of the Clean Air Act 1956 where it was
proposed to install new furnances. These were examined and where necessary discussed with the
installation engineers. The Department was satisfied that the final proposals provided for
installations which would meet the requirements of the Act that they should as far as practicable be
capable of being operated continuously without emitting smoke when burning the fuel for which they
were designed.
Chimney Heights
30 notices were received of proposals to construct new chimneys. Where appropriate these were
discussed with the applicants and agreement was reached in each case by which chimney terminal
heights were fixed that should provide for adequate dissipation of the exhaust gases so avoiding
the risk of harmful local concentrations of air pollutants.
Trade Emissions
During the summer of 1968 a well-known firm in the Borough erected a large new plant for the purpose
of recovering volatile solvent used in the process of manufacture.
The plant contains several tons of activated carbon granules used for absorbing the gases drawn
from machines in the factory and when operations commenced some carbon dust was emitted continuously
from the plant and was blown into a neighbouring street. The company were already aware of this
matter along with other initial problems, and when visited by representatives of the department they
initimated that remedial work was already in hand. Besides taking immediate action which greatly
reduced the emission they asked the makers to design a filtration apparatus to trap the dust emitted
which, having regard to the nature of the plant, was a difficult and costly project.
The process of design, manufacture and erection lasted several months but the plant is now working
successfully without dust emission.
The department has been in touch with the firm throughout this period and the incident is chosen to
illustrate the fact that where some form of nuisance is caused by a manufacturing process, many
local firms go to great lengths to provide remedial measures, and co-operate very fully with the
department in matters of public health without any necessity for formal proceedings.
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