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65
Water Supply.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, the following
information is included in regard to the water supply of the area.
1. The water supply of the Borough and its several parts has
been satisfactory both in quality and quantity.
2. All houses in this Borough have water services laid on
from the Metropolitan Water Board's mains. No bacteriological or
chemical analyses were made by this Authority of the raw water going
into supply.
3. The water supplied to this district by the Metropolitan
Water Board does not give rise to plumbo-solvent action.
4. There were no contamination areas.
SANITARY SECTION.
This section of the Report relating to sanitary circumstances and
housing, and statistics as to food inspection, has been compiled by
Mr. R. A. Baskett, B.E.M., Acting Chief Sanitary Inspector.
Whilst every effort has been made during the year to resume the
routine work of the department, the inspectorial staff is very conscious
of many things which have been left undone, not through any lack of
will to carry out those duties for which they are responsible, but in
consequence of staff, labour and material shortages.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, and the inability to verify by
adequate reinspection, it is certain much more has been accomplished
in remedying unsatisfactory sanitary conditions than would appear
from the statistics contained in this report.
The quiet and patient manner in which the public generally
tolerated unsatisfactory conditions has been truly remarkable, and
it is the sincere hope of all those engaged in public health work,
particularly that relating to environmental hygiene, that the many
frustrating agencies which at present hamper this work will soon be
dissipated.
The staff of the Sanitary Section during the year consisted of five
District Inspectors with the Acting Chief Sanitary Inspector. There
was also one disinfector, one mortuary attendant, two rodent operators
and one drain cleaner.
At the end of the year two of the District Inspectors, Messrs.
Thurston and Tonkin, were still with the Housing Department,
engaged in the supervision of the repair of war damage to housing.