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particular, the Act facilitates the exercise of the Council's statutory
responsibilities for the clearance and replacement of slum houses, the
enforcement of essential repairs and the encouragement of improvements
and conversions.
The Council is required within twelve months to submit for the
Minister's approval proposals for dealing with houses in the area
which appear to be unfit for human habitation and suitable for
demolition. A general survey of the older properties in the Borough
is being made and will be reported to the Council in due course.
Another part of the Act deals with the increase of rents of houses,
which are claimed by the landlord to be in good condition. Where
an application for rent increase has been made and the property is
held by the tenant not to be in good repair, then upon an application
from the tenant for a Certificate of Disrepair, the premises are
inspected by the Sanitary Inspectors and the details of the defects
are reported to the Health Committee who decide whether or not
the defects warrant the issue of a Certificate of Disrepair.
The number of Certificates granted was 22 and the number of
applications refused was 2.
3. WATER SUPPLY. The water supply of the Borough,
which is provided by the Colne Valley Water Co., except for a small
area in the southern end of the district supplied by the Rickmansworth
and Uxbridge Valley Water Co., remained satisfactory in
quality and quantity. The supply is pumped from deep wells in
the chalk outside the Borough boundaries. All of the samples taken
from piped supplies were reported as satisfactory.
No tendency to plumbo solvent action has been detected.
All dwelling houses in the Borough are provided with a mains
water supply.
There is a number of private wells in the Borough all in connection
with industrial undertakings, but in no instance is the water
from these sources used for drinking.
The Council have continued to express their concern at the
hardness of the public water supplies which expressed a total hardness
range from 234—264 parts per million. Whilst there would not
appear to be evidence of prejudicial effects to health from such hard
water its detrimental effects on boilers and hot water systems are
well-known.
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