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23
Drainage and Sewerage.
Main drainage is under the control of the West Kent Main
Sewerage Board. During the year a surface water sewer was
constructed between a ditch at Farnborough By-Pass and Farnborough
Pond.
Improvements were made to surface water drainage in Shire
Lane near Beechlands Estate.
Cesspools.
This continues to be the most serious Public Health problem
in the district, and until the whole area is properly sewered,
which is an expensive matter involving large capital expenditure,
and all houses with cesspools are connected to main drainage,
the sanitary state of the district cannot be considered at all
satisfactory, especially in those areas with chalk sub-soil.
Number of cesspools converted to main drainage during year 55
Number of houses with Pail Closets converted to cesspool drainage 7
Number of new houses erected with cesspool drainage 17
Number of loads removed from cesspools on private properties 2,705
Number of loads removed from cesspools on requisitioned properties 440
Number of loads removed from cesspools on Council properties 506
It will be seen from the above that during the year only 55
cesspools were converted to main drainage, and at this rate of
progress it will take years to abolish cesspools, even where there
are existing sewers available. In spite of the magnitude of this
problem, 17 houses were erected with cesspool drainage.
The survey of cesspools, which began on the 17th October,
1949, and terminated on the 30th March, 1951, is complete except
for 30 premises not yet visited and 490 premises on which details
are not complete at the time of writing. These outstanding
details will be taken into the routine work of the District
Sanitary Inspectors. For the first time, the Department will have
a complete and detailed record of the condition of all cesspools.
There is now evidence, where previously there existed only
surmise, that there is gross pollution of the sub-soil which is a
potential danger to public health, not only to this district, but
also to other districts. In the course of this survey it was found
that 282 houses had no sanitary provision other than a pail
closet, 174 of these premises having cesspools for sink waste, etc.
The following statistical facts apply to the 1,901 cesspools
where the survey has been completed :—
425 or 22.35% of cesspools are in a sewered area.
1,476 or 77.64% of Cesspools are in non-sewered areas.