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41
For the last five years the serious damage which has
been and is caused to property, as well as the injury to
health arising from the flooding of basements in all parts
of the home-wards of the parish, by the overflowing of the
main-line sewers under the control of the County Council,
or before them of the Metropolitan Board of Works, has
been a source of anxiety to the Vestry and its predecessors.
In the 29th (page 34), the 30th (page 55), the 31st (page
49), and the 32nd Report of the District Board (page 46),
and in the first Report of the Vestry (page 276) this great
nuisance was adverted to. So far back as February, 1885,
relief was applied for, when the Metropolitan Board
replied that the matter was then receiving the consideration
of their engineer who was "expected shortly to report
"upon it;" and in April of the same year the predecessors
of the Vestry were informed that the engineer fully
expected that the new Ranelagh Relief Sewer then in
course of construction would afford a remedy, and
that the main-line low level sewer would be "relieved
"of flood wrater through the storm outlets by the
"pumps at the Western Pumping Station at those
"periods when the natural overflow is impeded by the
"rising tide." After waiting several months in expectation
of the promised relief, the District Board were compelled
by the many and serious complaints of inhabitants, to
address a further communication to the Metropolitan Board
of Works. Six months after the date of this letter (22nd
May, 1886), the Metropolitan Board in their reply attributed
the evil to the fact that five local sewers and 125 drains
connected with the main sewer between Piccadilly and the
river were untrapped; but it was pointed out that under
the circumstances the trapping of all the local sewers and
private drains would tend to increase rather than to diminish
the annoyance. A deputation, consisting of members of the
District Board and of Vestrymen of the adjoining parish of