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13
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
Part II of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, as amended by various
London County Council (General Powers) Acts., contains the main provisions
relating to sewerage and drainage . The Borough Engineer and Surveyor's
Department is responsible for the construction and maintenance of sewers vested
in the Borough Council but responsibility in relation to the discharge of
trade effluents into sewers is shared by the Borough Engineer and Surveyor s
Department and the Public Health Department. In the majority of premises of
all types in the Borough both the surface water and sewage discharge into the
sajne drain. In a large percentage of premises in the Borough the combined
drainage system operates i.e. the sewage from more than one dwelling discharges
into a common outlet drain. The six cesspools still in use take the drainage
of one dwelling house two business premises, a Civil Defence Centre and
dressing rooms on playing fields and are emptied by the Borough Engineer and
Surveyor s Department's staff as and when circumstances require. When a
combined drain is found to be defective a notice is served under Section 40 of
the Public Health (London) Act, 1936 upon the owner of the land or premises in
respect of which an inspection has been made under sub-section 1 of Section
40, and if the person upon whom such a notice has been served is aggrieved
thereby, he has the right of appeal to a magistrate's court. The court
hearing the appeal may apportion the cost of the work between the owners of
the various properties involved,
Action under the various public health enactments was taken during the
year as follows:-
PUBLIC HEALTH (LONDON) ACT, 1936
SECTION 34 (Drainage Bylaws). A total of ninety-three plans of proposed
drainage works were submitted to the Public Health Committee. Informal
notices were served in respect of contraventions of the bylaws at 102 premises
and a total of 97 formal notices were served. Legal proceedings were
instituted in 22 instances.
SECTION 40 (Inspection of Drains). Notice of intention to examine drains was
served in respect of 145 premises; and 80 notices requiring the repair of
defective drains were issued and these were followed in four instances by
legal proceedings. Appeals were lodged against three notices involving 17
premises and in each case the Court made an Order apportioning the cost of the
work among the owners concerned.
In exercise of their default powers the Council carried out drainage work
in connection with two premises at a total cost of £25 3s. 9d.
SECTION 44 (Power of Borough Council to construct or alter drains by agreement).
Under the provisions of this section as amended by Section 30 of the London
County Council (General Powers) Act 1958 the drainage staff of the Department,
at the request of and expense of the owners concerned, carried out works
of repair to drains at 315 premises at a total cost of £1,137 13s.lid.
SECTION 82 (Nuisances which may be dealt with summarily). Following
investigations of nuisances, 1,199 intimation notices and 1,143 nuisance
(Statutory) notices were served. Applications for Nuistace Orders were made
in 142 cases, and in addition proceedings were taken in twenty four cases of
non' compliance with Nuisance Orders.
SECTION 87 (Removal and Disposal of refuse). This service is the responsi
bility of the Borough Engineer and Surveyor who has furnished the following
information
Tons
Amount of house refuse collected 52,402
Amount of trade refuse delivered by traders direct to Homerton Wharf 1,587
Metal salvaged 80
Waste paper salvaged 632
Miscellaneous Salvage (Rags, Bottles, etc.) 37
Kitchen waste sold for conversion into pig food 375