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6
SANITARY AREA.
POSITION AND LOCALITY.
The Sanitary District of Walthamstow has an area of 4,355 acres,
and is divided into five Wards for administrative purposes, but the
character of the population is practically the same—the artisan and
labouring classes predominating in all the Wards.
It lies between the River Lea and Epping Forest from the west to the
east, extending from Ley ton on its south to Chingford on the north.
The sub-soil is mainly gravel, the London clay showing itself in
various paits on the surface, notably at Church Hill and portions of the
Hoe Street and Northern Wards adjoining.
The district has two small streams—the Ching and the Dagenham
Brook. The former enters the district at Highams Park, supplying the
large lake there, and then winds its very sluggish course through Hale
End and Chapel End to the River Lea. The latter, the Dagenham
Brook, is the outlet for the drainage of the district, and having received
the effluent from the Sewage Farm, winds its course through the
neighbouring parish of Leyton and joins the River Lea near Temple
Mills. Neither stream at any point is used for drinking purposes.
The whole district has a duplicate system of sewers, and practically
every house water-closet accommodation. The drinking water is supplied
by the Metropolitan Wafer Board, formerly East London Water Company,
and is practically constant The amount used per head per day
is about 30 to 35 gallons.
The five Wards into which the district is divided are :—St. James
Street, varying from 18 to 54 feet above ordnance datum; High Street,
21 to 60 feet; Hoe Street, 50 to 140 feet; Wood Street, 50 to 170 feet;
and the Northern Ward, 25 to 220 feet.
The Sewage Farm, about 182 acres in extent, is situated in the
St. James Street Ward, and the reservoirs of the Metropolitan Water
Board, about 367 acres in extent, are in the High Street and Northern
Wards.
POPULATION.
That a correct estimate of the population is necessary, if any reliance
can be placed on the various figures in this Report is very evident.
An over-estimated population means a lowered death and other rates
and vice versa.