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155
flooded to a depth of 6 inches; since that date I have received
repeated complaints of these cellars being flooded, and on the
19th July last they were again flooded to about the same level.
I have also received complaints of flooding of cellars of houses in
Hatfield Street out of Field Road.
With respect to the capacity of the sewer, I beg to state that the
low level sewer in this district is surcharged at every heavy rainfall.
It is manifest that when such surcharging takes place, the subsi.
sidence of the sewage in the sewers of the district must be very
gradual (I have been informed that it has taken 10 hours to raise
the sewage from the low level into the high level sewers), and that
such very gradual subsidence must lead to large deposits of solid
matter in the sewers.
The statements contained in this letter my Vestry consider indisputable,
and it consequently fails to see that the Council can consider
either the capacity of the sewers in the Parish, or the pumping power
at the Victoria pumping station adequate.
This Vestry further trusts that your Council will give this matter
the serious consideration which its importance merits, especially
having regard to the enormous growth of this and neighbouring
parishes. I remain, yours faithfully,
(Signed) James P. Norrington, a.m.i.c.e.,
H. De la Hooke, Esq., Surveyor to the Vestry.
Clerk to the Council.
To the letter of the 28th of November, the Vestry received the following
reply, but, the relief of the sewers referred to in the reply is not of the
permanent and adequate character required, and it will be the duty of the
Vestry to continue to urge the Council to effectually remedy the defects
referred to in my letter.
Sir Spring Gardens, S.W., 19th January, 1892.
The Council has considered your letter of the 28th November last,
drawing attention, by direction of the Vestry of Fulham, to the
occasional flooding of the basements of certain houses near the
Claybrooke Road and Colehill Lane sewers in the Parish of
Fulham.
In reply, I am directed to state that from information obtained by
the officers of the Council, it appears that the surface level of a
considerable area of the Parish of Fulham through which the Council's
low level sewer passes, is only about 15 feet above Ordance datum or
2 feet 6 inches above Trinity high.water mark, whilst the maximum
level attained by the water in the low level and local sewers during
times of heavy rainfall seems to have been about 6 feet, leaving an
unflooded margin of 9 feet below the surface for the depth of cellars
and basements in the area referred to.
The interception of the Ranelagh Sewer by the proposed new sewer
for the relief of the northern middle level line will, the Engineer reports,
divert a considerable quantity of storm water from the low level sewer in
question, at a point above the western pumping station, and this relief
will be equivalent to a proportionate increase in the plimping capacity
of that station. I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
The Surveyor of the (Signed) H. DE LA HOOKE,
Vestry of Fulham. Clerk of the Council.