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10.
SECTION C.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA .
Water Supplies.
A hard, pure and constant piped water supply is provided by the
Metropolitan Water Board; the supply has been satisfactory in both
quality and quantity.
Rivers and Streams.
Twenty seven visits were made during the year in connection with
the pollution of water courses. Informal action secured the
abatement of minor instances of pollution.
Fly Nuisance.
As predicted in the report for 1954, the emergence of flies
again caused considerable nuisance in the spring of the year. The
emergence of the Chironomidae flies was very heavy indeed and was
sited on the banks and on land adjoining the King George V Reservoir.
Such was the extent of the nuisance that not only the Yfater Board land
but also adjoining land in the ownership of the Council was sprayed
with insecticide in order to deal with the problem,,
A weekly collection of refuse and salvage was maintained and the
total v/eight of refuse disposed of at the Works was 11,797 tons as
compared with 11,812 tons for the previous year. The Registrar
General's estimate of population at the mid-year 1955, the fourth
since the census in 1951, indicated a decline, being 47,310 as against
the estimate for mid-year 1954- of 47,600. The number of premises
from which refuse was collected showed an increase, being 14,537 as
against 14,234 for the previous year.
The analysis of income on page l4 reveals a total figure of
£11,908 as against £10,743 for the previous year. Whilst the sale of
waste paper made a major contribution to this figure, notable sums
were also received from the sale of metals, both ferrous and nonferrous,
cullet, bottles, jars and textiles.
The net cost per ton for the collection of refuse was 27/ld as
against 25/3d for the year ended March, 1955 and 24/7d for the year
ended March, 1954. The increase in the unit cost per ton is due to
Wage Awards to the additional men being employed during the year.
Five refuse collection vehicles were in daily use, two vehicles