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15
SECTION C.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA.
Water Supplies—General.
The South Essex Waterworks Company have kindly supplied the
following particulars concerning the main supply for the district:
"The water supply of the whole of your area has been satisfactory
in quality and quantity. Bacteriological and chcmical
examinations are made of the raw water, of the water in its
various stages of treatment and of the water going into supply.
A total of over 3,800 chemical, bacteriological and biological
examinations have been made and all water going into supply
was wholesome. In addition, anaylses have also been made of
samples obtained from consumers' taps in the various parts of
the Company's district, including that of your Council, and all
proved to be satisfactory. The water supplied is not plumbosolvent.
No action has been necessary in respect to any form
of contamination. The number of dwelling houses supplied as
at 31st December last was 32,724 and the population as at
30th June, 1954, as obtained from the Registrar General was
107,100. We are unable to state the number of houses supplied
by standpipes, but the total is quite insignificant."
The largest individual well supply serving a group of houses is that
in the Dennises Corner area. The position in this area was included in
the comprehensive report on water supplies submitted to you last year
and the circumstances are being kept under observation.
Atmospheric Pollution.
Present programme.
Close co-operation is maintained with the National Smoke Abatement
Society, the London and Home Counties Smoke Abatement
Advisory Council, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
and the Council of Co-operating Bodies. Our present programme has
been gradually built up over a period of some six years and at present
comprises monthly analysis for four lead peroxide candles (giving the
SO3 content) and three deposit gauges providing information as to the
total solids (assessed in tons per square mile). One volumetric SO2
apparatus is maintained for daily analysis at the Council's offices. This
is the first year in which I have been able to report the findings of three
deposit gauges, since the original gauge at Rainham has been augmented
as from the beginning of 1954 by one additional gauge each at
"Langtons," Billet Lane, and Oglethorpe School. I have noted below
some statistical information (in graph form) concerning the findings
from the deposit gauges and the lead peroxide candles.
The Total Deposit graph and the Sulphur Dioxide graph reflect the
position which the siting of the apparatus would lead one to expect.
Quite apart, therefore, from the undefined implications of drift the
maximum local amount of deposit and the maximum local SO2 emission
occur at the Rainham site.