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24
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
Water:
The water supply of Willesden is derived from the mains of the Metropolitan Water Board and the
Colne Valley Water Company. The service is constant and the water of excellent quality.
Sewage and Drainage:
Most of the sewage of the Borough is discharged into the London County Council main sewers, but a
small amount, viz., from the Park Royal area, is discharged into the West Middlesex Main Drainage system.
All the buildings in the Borough are now drained to the Council's sewers. During the year, three cottages
at Stonebridge Park, which were served by chemical closets, were converted to the water-carriage system and
the drains connected to the Council's sewers, as a result of notices served under the Public Health Act, 1936.
Refuse Disposal:
House refuse is collected weekly.
Trade refuse is collected as often as is deemed necessary and at an agreed charge to the trader.
Refuse is dealt with by controlled tipping at Twyford.
In March, 1948, the duty of enforcing the provision of dust-bins was transferred from the Health
Department to the Borough Engineer's Department.
Disinfestation:
Disinfestation of dwelling-houses, premises and chattels is carried out by the Sanitary Inspectors, but
in the case of persons removing to new Council dwellings it is carried out by contractors.
Bedding materials are disinfested at the steam disinfector at the Neasden Hospital:
(a) Number of applications to rooms in private dwelling-houses [Note: Some rooms treated
more than once) 444
Number of applications for beetle infestations in canteens, etc. 8
(b) Number of verminous rooms cleansed 284
Number disinfested under Council's Scheme 197
Number of primary inspections of verminous premises 185
Number of reinspections 319
(c) Disinfestation by HCN carried out by contractors:
Number of removal disinfestations 66
Number of premises disinfested by HCN -
Disinfestation of bedding at Municipal Hospital (loads) 52
Public Mortuary:
During 1948 bodies were deposited at the Mortuary as follows:
From Willesden From Acton Total
Post-mortems 281 63 344
Post-mortems and Inquests 84 30 114
Adjourned Inquests 31 13 44
Accommodations 3 — 3
Swimming Baths:
The Borough has three swimming baths, one closed bath at Granville Road, open all the year round,
and two open baths, King Edward's and Gladstone Park Baths, open from May to September.
From May, 1948, to the end of the year, 86 samples of water from the Borough's three swimming baths
were taken. The results from the closed bath at Granville Road and from King Edward's Bath were generally
satisfactory. Samples from Gladstone Park Bath were occasionally unsatisfactory, and this was mainly due to
the inadequate sanitary and shower-bath facilities, the slow turnover in filtration and inadequate chlorination.
In addition, there was frequent choking of the filters from grass and other foreign matter which gain access
to the bath water because the surrounds of grass slope down to the pool. The surface drainage around the pool
is generally unsatisfactory, and contamination of the water therefore results.
Bathrooms:
Over half the Willesden families do not possess their own bathroom, one in three have no bathroom,
and one in four have to share with another family. Less than half the Willesden families (41 per cent) have a
bathroom of their own.
Water Closets:
Approximately one in four families (22 per cent) share a water closet, and where a dwelling is occupied
by three or more families, almost three-quarters (68 per cent) share the water closet.
Gardens:
Although Willesden is poorly equipped with public open spaces (a provision of 242 acres for a need ol
1,313 acres), one in four families have no garden at all. Where the dwelling was subdivided for the occupation
of two or three families, the garden was often shared.