View report page

4
Population.
The estimated population for the whole district is 10,700, which is an increase
of 558 on the figure for year ending 1920. The figure 10,700 includes the number for
the Uxbridge Poor Law Institution, which with staff amounts to about 240, but does
not include members of the Royal Air Force quartered in that part of the Uxbridge
Depot which is within the Rural District Boundary.
COWLEY 1,089
HAREFIELD 3,035
HILLINGDON EAST 3,312
ICKENHAM 495
NORTHOLT 851
WEST DRAYTON 1,918
The working-class population are chiefly,engaged in agriculture, factory, and
small business pursuits. There are a number of factories in the district, e.g., Asbestos
Works, Furniture Factories, Cardboard and Cement Factory.
B.—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DISTRICT.
Water Supply.
The Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Company supplies Hillingdon
East, Harefield, West Drayton, Cowley, Ickenham and part of Northolt. The water,
though hard, is of good quality and no complaints have been received this year as
to its taste.
The CoLne Valley Water Company supplies part of Northolt. In Harefield
and Ickenham are a few wells which are always liable to pollution. Some we.Is in
Harefield were condemned during the year, and the houses supplied from the main.
Rivers and Streams.
No pollutions of these have been reported during the year and their condition
is at the present time good.
Drainage and Sewerage.
Hillingdon East, West Drayton and Cowley are drained by a Sewerage system
to the Works at Cowley Peachey, which are now worked by the Joint Drainage
Committee, and I have received no complaints this year as to defects or smells.
The new houses at Ickenham drain into a large cesspool, and periodically this
has to be pumped on to the land at the back of these houses. The sewage to be disposed
of amounts to thousands of gallons and some complaints of the offensive smell
arise during the pumping operations. At the end of the year a scheme was considered
to get the Royal Air Force to take this sewage. This would solve the problem.
A nuisance must arise at times when the pumping is proceeding, and a difficulty arises
regarding the amount of land available for receiving the sewage.