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19
C—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
Water.—The authority responsible is the Metropolitan Water
Board.
The supply has been satisfactory in quality and quantity.
Routine tests are carried out by the Board and the usual practice
was continued of notifying the Board in all cases of actual or
suspeoted enteric fever. The Board then arranges special tests at
the addresses concerned. All were negative in 1946.
No action was necessary in respect of contamination.
All dwelling houses in the area are supplied direct with water.
Public Cleansing.—Mr. Eric Bell, M.I.P.C., A.R.San.I.,
Cleansing Superintendent, reports as follows :—
" In this brief report of the work of the Public Cleansing
Department for the year 1946, I would point out that a great
deal of the basic work undertaken has been of a re-organising
nature, preparing the ground for the increased standard that was
being aimed at before the war.
"Our labour position has improved during the year
inasmuch as quite a number of our ex-employees have returned
from service in H.M. Forces. This has not materially increased
the number of employees, but it has enabled us to bring a greater
number of experienced men to bear in the sections most affected
by the war-time "call-up." In general the current return to
normal of industry has been shown by the increased tonnage
of the principal cleansing services.
"House Refuse Collection.—I am still maintaining the
system of a once weekly collection of household refuse throughout
the Borough, and our total tonnage collected has jumped to
the figure of 54,549 tons, which shows an increase of 4,873 tons
over the year 1945, and further, I can expect this figure to keep
on increasing until the peak of the building programme in
Walthamstow has been reached and passed.
"The above figure, of course, includes the total tonnage
of the various grades of salvage collected, and in contradition
to the current national downward trend of salvage collections,
Walthamstow has maintained its return to industry of these
valuable and much needed commodities. This is proved by the
fact that during the year 1946 a total of 3,956 tons of general
salvage was dealt with against a figure of 3,960 tons in 1945.
While I consider this state of affairs to be fairly satisfactory in
view of my previous remarks regarding national figures, I would,
of course, be extremely glad to see an increase during the forthcoming
year, as our salvage effort all tends to alleviate the rate
demand.