View report page

Water Supply. The Metropolitan Water Board is responsible for the water
supply for all domestic purposes in the Borough, all dwelling houses being supplied
direct from the public water mains. During the year, 775 certificates were issued
in respect of new dwelling houses as having a proper and sufficient supply of water.
Wells. There are now only eight wells in use in the Borough, and these are
used chiefly for trade and kindred purposes.
Eradication of Bed Bugs. In the last Annual Report, reference was made
to the commencement of the use of D.D.T. in cases of infestation by bed bugs.
Before discussing this insecticide further, reference should be made to the methods
of eradication referred to in previous Annual Reports. These methods, which
were in use up to the outbreak of war, and which have been fully described, gave
good results, but, apart from hydrogen cyanide (which has proved of the greatest
possible value when dealing with bug-infested furniture), it could only be said that
the Council's efforts fell under the heading of control rather than eradication. The
methods referred to were largely experimental, and to a great extent constituted a
search for a disinfestant which would not only kill bugs, but which also provided
a residual lethal effect. The substances tried were orthodichlorbenzene, methylene
chloride, sulphur dioxide, washed heavy naptha, and lethane. The use of all these
substances was limited by the transient nature of the lethal action. No fault could
be found in the "knock down" capacity, but reinfestations followed where bugs
and their eggs had been in inaccessible places.