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SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BOROUGH
Water Supply and Water Services
Water is supplied to nearly the whole of the district by the South.West Suburban
Water Company. The Metropolitan Water Board supplies a small area in the southern
part of the district, and the Rickmansworth & Uxbridge Valley Water Company a small
area in the northern part. The supply is satisfactory, both in quality and quantity.
Reports on sampling carried out by the Metropolitan Water Board are issued from time
to time. All inhabited houses are supplied from public water mains and there are no
standpipes in use on mains.
Under Section 35, Middlesex County Council Act, 1956, provision is made for
immediate action to be taken by the Local Authority to restore a water supply which has
been cut off for some default.
Fourteen samples of artesian well water (from factories situated in the Borough)
were taken, all of which were sterile and pure.
Sewerage
Middlesex County Council provides the facilities for purification of sewage from the
Borough at the Mogden Sewage Works. The amount of congestion occurring in the
drains and sewers of the Borough, partly as a result of increase in the number of houses
and shops and partly due to the fact that improved knowledge of hygiene results in an
increased use of water for cleanliness, meant that problems have arisen of overcharging
of sewers, and of flooding during periods of heavy rain. Measures to relieve this have
had to be taken, and the latest position with regard to these improvements is as follows:—
During November surcharging of the soil sewers in the south of the Borough reached
dangerous proportions owing to a partial blockage combined with very heavy rain. The
danger was averted by the prompt use of a special pump hired for the purpose. The
work was carried out successfully under very bad conditions.
During the year preparatory work on the Southern Soil Relief Sewer Scheme was
completed and the Council entered into a contract so that construction work could commence
in January, 1961.
A larger pump for surface water was installed by owners of properties in Livingstone
Road and Alma Road in order to reduce flooding of the premises. The Council also
decided to consider making provision for the improvement of the surface water sewers
serving this area.
As part of the scheme for improving Tentelow Lane, a surface water sewer was
provided in a part of the road not previously drained.
Complaints were received of an unpleasant smell originating from an emergency
overflow chamber in the Brent Valley Main Sewer on the east side of the River Brent.
This chamber is the property of the County Council and is situated within the Borough
of Ealing. The matter was discussed with the County Council and Ealing Borough
Council with a view to reducing the nuisance.
British Waterways installed a septic tank to deal with sewage from the cottages at
Bulls Bridge and only two pail closets remain at these cottages. The premises in Carlyle
Avenue formerly using two pail closets were connected to the sewer. The only other
pail closets emptied by the Council are two at "Springdale."
There are two cesspools emptied by the Council's gully emptier—one at "Springdale"
and one at Wyke Green.
Sanitary Inspection of the District
The total number of inspections of premises made during the year by the Public
Health Inspectors was 8,543. Table XII gives an analysis of the number and nature of
such inspections.
There was a considerable rise in the amount of visits carried out under the Clean
Air Act (Smoke Control Areas) requirements. These visits served multiple purposes,
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