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54
DRAINS UNSTOPPED AND CLEANSED.
The work of unstopping and cleansing drains has received the
usual attention. The policy of the Council to send their own men
free of charge to do this important work, essential to the good
health of the Borough, is still in operation.
There are 27,517 houses in the Borough, and at 1,919 the
drains have been unstopped and cleansed, being 6.9 per cent.
The figures for the year 1913 were 1,852, being 6'8 per cent.
DRAINAGE WORK.
At "46 houses the drains have been tested, and in 118 instances
defects in the drains have been discovered. 5 of these
were the result of house to house inspections, and 113 by routine
work, such as visits caused by the occurrence of a case of infectious
disease, or complaint of offensive smells. In addition to the 118
defective drains there were 13 defective water closet connections
and 5 defective water closet traps. In 135 instances soil pans
were renewed or cleansed, and 83 new ventilating pipes were
erected. For the carrying out of these sanitary amendments the
District Inspectors supervised and passed the work. No pipes
were permitted to be covered until they were tested.
SANITARY APPLIANCES.
This term includes the appurtenances to the drains proper,
and during the year there have been 113 flushing apparatuses to
the water closets renewed or repaired, as compared with 180 for
the previous vear. 111 waste pipes from scullery sinks and baths
were dealt with, as compared with 137 for the year 1914.
DIRTY PREMISES.
Under this form of nuisance are included dirty walls and
ceilings, and at 677 premises the internal cleansing of walls and
ceilings has been performed, the figures for the previous year
being 904. By reference to the nuisance table inset facing page
50, it will be seen that there have been 1,329 house to house
inspections made, and at 417 of the houses internal dirty walls
and ceilings were discovered. This is equal to 31.4 per cent. of
the inspections made, while as a result of ordinary routine
work, which includes the inspections made upon complaint, ard
at dairies, slaughterhouses, bakehouses, etc., the inspections
were 2,311, and nuisances arising from dirty walls and ceilings
were 260, being equal to 1T2 per cent., the figures for 1914
being 9.6.