View report page

150
It discharges at the Victoria Pumping Station on the Chelsea
Embankment, where the whole of the sewage is lifted up 20-ft. by four
engines, working eight pumps, into the Low Level Sewer, which
follows the course of the Victoria Embankment. These pumps raised
9,322,551,110 gallons of sewage in 1891, the lowest daily record being
14,627,000 gallons, and the highest, 54,795,000.
The sewer running through High Street, Church Street, and the
King's Road, joining the Western Sewer in Broxholme Road, also
belongs.to the London County Council.
All other sewers in the district belong to the Vestry, and have
been laid either by the Vestry or private persons, and handed over to
the Vestry.
It will be seen from the above that the Vestry has not full
control over the sewers of the district, and I shall shew that their
condition is very much dependent on the state of the main Western
sewer.
level of parish.
Surcharging of Sewers.
The level of the surface of this Parish is only a few feet above
Thames high water mark, consequently this Western sewer, which
has to receive the sewage of Fulham and Hammersmith, is itself
many feet below high water level, and in times of heavy rain it
becomes surcharged to such an extent, that on Sunday, August
28th, 1892, the water from the sewers flooded the cellars of a great
number of places in the district to various depths, including the basement
of the Town Hall, to a depth of 6 inches (list given hereafter).
I am informed that 1.51 inches of rainfall took place on that day,
that the worst of the fall occurred at high water, so that the storm
overflows could not be opened; and that it occupied 19 hours for the
four large engines, previously referred to, at the Victoria Pumping
Station, to raise the sewage into the Low Level sewer.
This gradual pumping away of the sewage, extending over so
long a period, must cause a large deposit in all the sewers of the
district. The Vestry will therefore see that this flooding is by far
the most important draw-back to the condition of their sewers,
besides being one entirely beyond their control.
The following letter on the above subject was written to the
London County Council on the 28th November, 1891:—
letter ON surcharging to london county council.
Dear Sir,
"I am directed by the Vestry of the Parish of Fulham to
ask you to lay the following information before the Main
Drainage Committee:—
On the 11th November, the Claybrooke Road sewer was
surcharged, so that the water rose 3-ft. in the manholes,