View report page

26
SECTION C.
SANITARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES
OF THE AREA.
Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act, 1956.
This Act came into force on the 5th July, 1956. The objects
of the Act are to secure the safety, health and welfare of persons
engaged in the agricultural industry.
The Sanitary Authority have power to require that suitable
and sufficient sanitary conveniences are provided on an agricultural
unit and also to secure the proper maintenance and cleanliness
thereof.
Cesspools.
The Council have power under a Private Act (Orpington Urban
District Council Act, 1954) to require owners to drain their
premises to the public sewer, provided the sewer is within 100 feet
of the site of the building.
Many interviews with owners and builders have taken place
during the year with a view to encouraging the necessary
connections. Statutory action is only resorted to when every other
method has failed and it was necessary to obtain the authority of
the Public Health Committee to serve twenty Statutory Notices
during the year. The Council's loan scheme, which enables
owners to spread the cost of the work over a number of years, has
been of great assistance.
During the year, forty-nine premises previously with cesspool
drainage were connected to the sewer.
The Annual Report of 1948 showed that 560 premises situated
in roads which were sewered were drained to cesspools, and by the
end of 1956 this number was reduced to 156, but of this number 22
are known to be over 100 feet from the sewer. Thus in eight years,
404 cesspools have been abolished.
Number of cesspools at 31st December, 1956:—
(1) on line of sewer 156
(2) not on line of sewer 2,353
2,509
Number of cesspools abolished and main drainage provided
during the year 49
Number of houses with pail closets converted to cesspool
drainage 5
Number of new houses erected with cesspool drainage 21
Number of loads removed from cesspools:—
On private properties 4,099
On requisitioned properties 103
On Council properties 445
4,647