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13
SANITARY WORK.
The ability of the Sanitary Inspectors is very
generally recognised by the parishioners. Accordingly,
besides inspecting houses and premises, investigating
complaints, removing infectious cases, and
disinfecting apartments, &c., much of their time is
occupied in discovering the cause of nuisances, particularly
in connexion with house drains, and in subsequently
directing and supervising their improvement
—duties which some might think (as stated in my first
Report) properly belonged to a surveyor. Some of
the items of their work are shown in Table VI.
WATER.
The Grand Junction and the West Middlesex
Companies supply Paddington with water obtained from
the Thames. Three other Companies—the Chelsea, the
Southwark, and the Lambeth—take their supplies from
the same source. The New River and East London
Companies deliver water from the Lea. The Kent
Company draws its water from deep wells, as do the
Colne Valley Company, and the Tottenham Local Board
of Health. Of the Thames waters, the Chelsea Company
delivered the best, and the Grand Junction Company
the worst. For the first time in ten years, the
water sent out by the West Middlesex Company was
on one occasion slightly turbid. During the year, the
Thames and the Lea were much more polluted by
organic matters than they were in the year 1877, and
in the months of January, May, June, July, September,
November and December, the former was so much