[Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1937
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    46/66 (page 42)
    During tlio year the County Couucil agreed to conlributo to the following Sewerage schemes;— Estimated Cost. £ Bridgwater (Cannington) ... ... ... ... ... ... 9,800 Chard (Tatworth, 'South Chard and Terry Street) ... ... 7,800 Langport (Curry Eivel) . 9,890 ,, (Somerton Extension) ... ... ... ... ... 7,349 Willitou (Carhampton Withyconibe) ... ... ... ... 2,300 Wincanton (Milborne Port) ... ... ... ... ... ... 5,650 Yeovil (Over Stratton, Compton Durville, Watergore) ... ... 4,000 All the grants were made on a i:)arochial basis. Most of these schemes were not started during the year. Inquiries were held by the Ministry of Health into 'Sewerage Schemes in different parts of the County. In the majority of cases these were attended by the County Sanitary Inspector and a number of such Schemes were under consideration by the County Council towards the end of the year. One particular Inquiry attended by Mr. Dewhurst was held at Axbridge in connection with the new by-pass road, the proposed line of which interfered with the site of the disposal works. The objections to this line were upheld by the Ministry of Transport. The sanitary conditions in this area leave much to be desiz’ed, hut it appears impossible that any sewer can be laid in the narrow streets of Axbridge unless a by-pass road is first constructed to relieve the street of its traffic. In Sir William Savage’s Annual Report for 1936 he mentioned that the County Sanitary Inspector was still proceeding with his survey of the sanitary circumstances in the various Rural districts throughout the County. This is undoubtedly a formidable task but Mr. Dewhurst’s re])orts on each parish are ])roving of considerable value. Three further dis¬ tricts were com])leted during the year, viz. : Clutton, Langport and Shepton Mallet, and if it had not been for the many other pressing duties which come under his office the details would have 'been completed for the whole of the County. This record when finished will prove of inestimable value for reference, and in the future will save considerable time. During the past year a number of complaints were received respecting river pollution from different parts of the County. These were immediately dealt with by the County Sanitary Inspector. Following systematic routine inspection and the logging of places where serious pollution might be anticipated, the discliarge of noxious wastes into the rivers and watercourses has been considerably minimised. During many of these visits Mr. Dewhurst has taken success¬ ful informal action with the result that it has not been necessary for the Committee to consider the question of taking legal action. Many of the more serious cases of pollution are being obviated by the provision of proper disposal works by the local authorities and improvement to those now in existence. Two cases of pollution whicli resulted in the loss of fish life were in connection with the hiver Yeo and a brook which runs through North Wootton and later joins the White and Red Lake streams. Immediate action was taken, and in the former case it is now felt that the sourco of the trouble has been found and dealt with in such a xnanner as to eliminate any