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Section C.—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
OF THE AREA
Water Supplies.
A hard, pure and constant piped water supply is provided
by the Metropolitan Water Board, and the supply has been
satisfactory in both quality and quantity. During the year two
samples of water were taken from the premises of a local
manufacturing firm; both samples were found, on analysis, to be
satisfactory.
Rivers and Streams.
It was necessary, in one instance, to take action as to the
pollution of a watercourse in the area.
Public Cleansing.
The collection and disposal of house and trade refuse and
salvage is carried out under the direction of the Chief Sanitary
Inspector.
For the first time in many years a weekly collection of refuse
was not maintained; for a greater part of the year refuse and
salvage were collected on alternate weeks. This system was put
into operation in an endeavour more particularly to keep separate
all articles having a salvage value, but the scheme was a failure,
due chiefly to labour and transport difficulties. Although consent
was given to the purchase of a spare refuse collecting vehicle, this
was not to hand until the year 1942, and so a considerable amount
of money was expended in lorry hire. The total weight of refuse
disposed of at the Works was 5,089 tons, showing a further
decrease of 865 tons from the amount collected during the
previous year, or a decrease of 1,883 tons from the amount collected
during the year ended March, 1940.
The net cost per ton for the colleotion of refuse was 20s. 6¾d.,
as against 11s. 6½d. for the year ended March, 1941, and 8s. 5½d.
for the year ended March, 1940. The net cost per ton for the
disposal of refuse was 5s. 6d., as against 2s. 7¾d. for the previous
year and 4s. l½d. for the year ended March, 1940. The various
factors which led to the considerable increase in cost for both the
colleotion and disposal of refuse are.too intimately connected with
the war effort to permit all the necessary explanations in this
Report. Apart from these considerations, the income from the
sale of salvaged articles did not rise in proportion to the higher
costs of the service.
The income from the sale of salvaged articles and from other
minor items was £2,580 10s. 2d., as against £2,648 in the year ended
March, 1941. The chief item which showed a declining revenue
was that derived from metals.
During the year the Council embafked on the scheme for the
collection of kitchen waste by the communal bin method.
Throughout the district just over three hundred bins were placed
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