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During the year some changes have taken
place which it is hoped will allow the section
to use its resources more profitably It is
quite clear that as time goes on and the service
becomes more widely used new areas of need
will be uncovered. Manpower, and money are
in short supply, so we must reluctantly admit
that whilst every effort will be made to meet
the demands, the trend towards selection of
work on a priority basis seems inevitable
until additional personnel are made available'
Environmental Health
The following is submitted by Mr G E Hayne
MAPHI MRSH Chief Public Health Inspector
During the year Mr K J Smith, FAPHI, MRSH,
retired from local government service He
had completed 41 years with various local
authorities and had been chief public health
inspector of the London Borough of Hounslow
since the borough was formed on 1st April
1965 I was appointed to the position of
chief public health inspector and commenced
my duties on 10th November, 1969
In view of the short time that I have been
in office my report will be of a statistical
nature based upon the records maintained in
the office rather than on a detailed knowledge
of the year's work In preparing this report I
have had regard to the Department of Health
and Social Security's Circular 1/70 dated 1st
January 1970
Water supply
The borough is supplied with water derived
from the River Thames which is distributed
to all dwellings within the borough either by
the Metropolitan Water Board or by the South
West Suburban Water Company
The Director of Water Examination for the
Metropolitan Water Board has given the
information concerning the water supplied by
that authority. I am grateful to him for the
relevant extract -
The supply was satisfactory both as to
quality, and quantity throughout 1969
All new and repaired mains are disinfected
with chlorine; after a predetermined period
of contact the pipes are flushed out and
refilled; samples of water are then collected
from these treated mains; and the mains are
returned to service only after results are
found to be satisfactory.
The Board has no record of the number of
structurally separate dwellings supplied in
your area but the population supplied direct
according to the Registrar-General's estimates
at 30th June , 1969. was 168 795
No houses were permanently supplied by
standpipe
No artificial fluoride was added and where the
fluoride content is indicated in the analyses
it represents the naturally occurring fluoride
in the water
The supply was derived from the Hampton works
and pumping stations.
No new sources of supply were instituted and
there were no changes to the general scheme
of supply in your area
The number of samples collected and the
bacteriological and chemical analyses of the
supply from the above sources after treatment
are shown on the attached sheets
On account of their hadness content and
alkaline reaction the board's river and well
water supplies are not considered to be
plumbo-solvent It should, however, be
appreciated that all types of water pick up
varying amounts of metal from the mderial
of water piping particularly when it is newly
installed; this applies to copper, zinc, iron
and also to lead Surveys carried out between
1966 and 1968 on analyses of water from
consumers' premises confirmed this statement'
In addition 30 samples of drinking water
were taken from flasks supplied to aircraft from
a firm within the borough 10 of these samples
proved to be bacteriologically unsatisfactory
Investigations revealed that the methods of
handling and sterilizing the flasks were not
satisfactory These methods were improved in
accordance with our recommendation and
subsequent samples proved satisfactory
Swimming baths
I am advised by the general baths manager that
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