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As regards sewerage, the Council is faced not only with the
increasing foul flows from the new development and flooding but also with
some ageing and unsatisfactory sewers which contribute to the flooding
difficulties referred to below. Generally, there is a separate system
of drainage in the District except in the older parts where combined sewers
still exist. These combined sewers have caused flooding at various points
in the District and work has started on the laying of new surface water
sewers to remove part of the flow from the combined sewers in South Loughton
and Buckhurst Hill and thus from the Sewage Treatment Works.
A small area of Buckhurst Hill drains into the sewers of Wanstead
and Woodford, thence via Chingford and to the East Middlesex Scheme. Part
of Chigwell Row drains to the Borough of Redbridge.
There are four outlying pumping stations lifting the flow from
low lying areas up to the main gravity sewers.
5. SANITARY ACCOMMODATION AND CESSPOOLS.
The area is well served by a sewerage system allowing water
carriage removal of soil drainage from nearly all domestic dwellings.
There are several septic tank systems in use in some large houses remote
from main drainage and in the case of caravan sites there are chemical
closets still found to be in use. Some cesspools are also still in use
in conjunction with water closets, and earth closets are to be found on
building sites.
Frequent inspections are made to these latter appliances, and
they are found to be generally well cared for and no complaints have been
received during the year regarding such appliances.
6. PUBLIC CLEANSING.
Domestic refuse is being collected once weekly throughout the
District by the Council's vehicles and labour. A fleet of 7 compressing
type refuse collection vehicles is constantly employed, supplemented by
further vehicles for special collections, including a service of removing
bulky articles (e.g. mattresses, bedsteads etc.) on request from householders.
This free service cannot be stressed too much as it is provided to
combat the other alternative of tipping old mattresses, etc. into ditches
or on to forest land.
Trade refuse also is collected, a charge related to actual cost
being made only for refuse, the character of which is clearly not domestic.
Refuse is at present disposed of by Controlled tipping at a new
site leased to the Council for this purpose. The refuse is covered with
spoil, hardcore or other innocuous filling leaving, during tipping, only
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