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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 stand-pipes 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.
Sewerage
Middlesex County Council provides the facilities for purification of sewage from tho
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,
partly due to the fact that improved knowledge of hygiene results in an increased use of
water for cleanliness, meant that problems arose of overcharging of sewers, and of flooding
during periods of heavy rain. Measures to relieve this had to be taken, and the latest position
with regard to these improvements is as follows:—
An additional length of surface water sewer was installed in part of Dormers Wells
Lane, further reducing the risk of flooding in this road. This with the provision of a new
Southern Soil Relief Sewer completed in 1962 has made the possibility of flooding small in
the Borough.
The only 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.
Refuse Collection and Disposal
Southall Borough Council provides one dustbin free to every separately rated hereditament,
the number of bins so supplied is approximately 17,000. The renewal period for these is
when the dustbins have worn out, but not more frequently than once in ten years. Weekly
collections are made from houses; three times a week from St. Bernard's Hospital; twiceweekly
collections are made from other Hospitals and high flats. Weekly collections from
shops and industrial premises are generally made, sometimes more frequently. Large
amounts are charged for. Special collections from domestic and other premises are made by
arrangement.
The Council maintain a fleet of vehicles, including 8 freighters on refuse collection, one
lorry for special collections. Refuse is picked over for salvage in the Council Depot, salvaged
materials being sold, and the residue is either incinerated at the Depot or carried to be tipped
at an authorised site at West Drayton.
Street Cleansing
The main shopping streets are cleansed daily and other roads are cleansed once, twice
or three times a week depending on various conditions. For this purpose, one lorry, and one
mechanical sweeper-collector are used. There are 14 street orderlies with hand trucks.
Sweepings are conveyed to the Depot and subsequently to the tip at West Drayton.
In addition, one gully-emptying machine is used to cleanse the street gullies, which
number approximately 3,250 in the Borough; each gully being cleansed four times a year.
The refuse is tipped at the Council Depot and then carted to West Drayton.
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