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Sanitary Circumstances of the Area.
WATER.
Practically the whole of the Borough is supplied with water
by the Metropolitan Water Board, but a few large factories have
private wells for drawing water from the chalk. The supply is
constant, and in every case it is conveyed directly to the house.
With regard to the water supply for domestic purposes, a
complaint of the peculiar taste of the water was received from a
householder in the north of the Borough. Samples were taken from
the main service pipe, and submitted for chemical and bacteriological
examinations. The result of these examinations proved that
the water contained a trace of contaminating materials. The
matter was taken up with the Metropolitan Water Board, who
thoroughly flushed out the main, with the result that the water
supply has since been satisfactory.
RIVERS AND STREAMS.
The Thames and the Lee are both tidal rivers. Part of the
Lee and the whole of the Thames abutting on the Borough are
under the control of the Port of London Authority. The remainder
of the River Lee and the Back Rivers connecting therewith which
pass through the Borough come under the control of the Lee Conservancy
and the newly created River Lee Catchment Board.
The Council have hitherto been responsible for the maintenance
of the river banks under powers which have devolved upon
them as successors to the Dagenham Commissioners, but the Land
Drainage Act, 1930, has transferred certain of these powers to
the River Lee and River Roding Catchment Boards.
The Council are carrying out, in conjunction with the Lee
Conservancy Board a large scheme for the improvement of the
Back Rivers of the Borough under the provisions of the River Lee
(Flood Relief, etc.) Act, 1930.
DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
The water carriage system of sewage removal is almost
universal throughout the whole Borough. With very few exceptions,
houses are provided with properly flushed modern water
closets, discharging bv modern drainage into the Public Sewers
which also convey the surface water. The part of the Borough
lying South of the Victoria and Albert Docks drains into a main
sewer which passes through portions of East Ham and North
Woolwich, and discharges into the London County Council's
sewer at North Woolwich.
With the exception of a few isolated cottages on the North
side of the Borough, the whole of the sewage is waterborne. A
scheme is being considered to deal with this part of the Borough
under the Town Planning Act.
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