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SECTION IV.—SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
Staff.—At the end of the year there were on the staff of the Sanitary Section
of the Department, one Chief Sanitary Inspector, ten male Inspectors, one female
Inspector and two part-time female Inspectors.
Water Supply—The Metropolitan Water Board is responsible for the water
supply of the Borough, and no complaints were received as to the quality of the
water supply during the year.
Removal and Disposal of Refuse.—House refuse is collected and disposed
of by direct labour under the control of the Works Department of the Council.
Collection is made once weekly, with the exception of a small central area, where
a twice-weekly collection is made. All refuse is disposed of by burning at the
Council's destructor at White Hart Road, Plumstead. An opportunity of improving
the present system of refuse collection was taken during the year, when the necessity
arose for replacing the electric collection vehicles. These vehicles were definitely
out of date, inasmuch as dust blew about during collection and transport, and the
loading, line was too high. After trials of six different types of vehicles, it was
decided to purchase four "Pagefield Prodigy" refuse collection vehicles of 15 cubic
yards capacity each. Steps were also taken to improve the efficiency of the method
of disposal of refuse at the Plumstead Destructor by a decision to provide a new
hopper and refuse handling plant, together with the necessary conveyors. The
cost of this improvement, including a new approach roadway and certain new
buildings, was £12,000.
Offensive trade refuse is removed by contractors, who remove fish waste from
shops in the Borough and make their own arrangements with the shopkeepers as
to the time and day of removal. The contractors provide airtight containers of a
type approved by your Medical Officer of Health, the number of these supplied varying
according to the individual requirements of the proprietors of the shops.
Inoffensive trade refuse is removed by the Works Department at a charge of
five shillings per load and 1,886 tons of such refuse were removed.
Drainage.—Practically every house in the Borough is connected with the
water-carriage system for the disposal of sewage. The exceptions are in out-lying
parts of Eltham.