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27
PART III
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA.
Water Supply.
The Borough water supply continues to come from the Metropolitan
Water Board, and gives no cause for anxiety. Sampling of
the well supplies to factories has been carried out.
Drainage and Sewerage.
The area is drained on two separate systems, soil and surface
water being kept apart. Soil sewage is pumped into the L.C.C.
system and surface water allowed to flow into the River Lee.
The necessary action has been taken where soil drains are found
to be connected to the surface water system.
Closet Accommodation.
The water carriage system is in operation over the whole of the
Borough. The cases where more than one family have to share W.C.
accommodation are still too many. It is to be hoped that a higher
standard will be applied to existing houses and thus enable the local
authority to ensure that each family has its own lavatory.
Atmospheric Pollution.
It is a sad reflection to think that whilst the population expect,
as a right, pure and wholesome water supply, clean and diseasefree
food, reasonable sanitary conditions in the house and in the
factory, they are content to breathe in an atmosphere which is
heavily polluted by the products of industrial and domestic coal
combustion.
When complaints are received, it is the practice of the technical
staff to visit the offending factory, and, by advice and co-operation
with the management, bring about improvements.
As an example of this advice, three factories are at present
fitting or have fitted grit-arresting apparatus.
The greatest offender is, without doubt, the domestic fireplace,
but the possibility of every householder using a smokeless fuel is
still very remote.