[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Solihull U.D.C.

  • Solihull (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Solihull U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lowering of the water level of the wells, so that sediment was drawn to the surfaee with water when pumps were used. The emergeney water supply mentioned abo\'e helped to alleviate this hardship. In several cases pollution was found to be due to defective drains or cesspools and these were dealt with through the routine work of the Department. The number of houses and retail shops, as ascertained from the rate books, is 18,255. Of these, 16,958, or 93 per cent., are connected to mains, and 1,297, or 7 per cent., are served by 887 wells. All the houses connected to mains supplies are sup])lied direct to the houses, there being no mains supplies from stand pipes to houses in the area. The proportion of the population siipjdied from public water mains is not accurately known, and could only be estimated in proportion of the number of houses given above. 1. (ii) Drainage and Sewerage.—There were no major extensions of sewers or drains during the year, and the four motor driven cesspool emptying machines were kept fully employed in emptying the 662 cesspools serving 1,060 premises in the area. During the year 7 cesspools were abolished and the 10 houses concerned connected to the sewer. 3. (i) Closet Accommodation.—95 per cent, of the houses in the area have closet accommodation of the water carriage type with cistern flush. On the Department’s lists are 887 pail closets and 12 privy middens. Of these, 840 pails are emptied weekly by the Local Authority and the remaining pails and privies as required. In special cases pails cleansing is done twice weekly. During the year 10 pail closets serving 10 houses were converted to water closets. In all these cases financial assistance was given by the Council. (ii) Public Cleansing.—The Council undertake the re¬ moval of house refuse throughout the whole of the area. Apart from the 12 premises served by privy middens men¬ tioned in the previous paragraph, the ash bin method of storage is in operation throughout the District. The system of disposal is that of controlled tipping ; although this method of deposition on land is carried on near to inhabited premises, - no complaint has been received as to nuisance arising, and the work, which is undertaken by the Surveyor’s Department, appears to be carried out very satisfactorily.
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