Dr. R. Deane Sweeting's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Crickhowell Rural District, with especial reference to the prevalence of enteric fever in the parish of Llanelly, Breconshire.

  • Sweeting, R. Deane, (Richard Deane Roker)
Date:
1910
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. R. Deane Sweeting's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Crickhowell Rural District, with especial reference to the prevalence of enteric fever in the parish of Llanelly, Breconshire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    no flushing except by a penstock at one place ; but a good gradient atones largely for this deficiency. Surface water is dealt with in a separate system of pipes, leading to ditches and streams. Disposal of the sewage is effected at two outfalls—“ Orchard ” and “ Garn,” both of which discharge into the river Usk. The “ Orchard ” outfall serves the central and northern portions of the town, viz., some 160 houses and 640 population. Two sewers convey the sewage to two tanks (combined capacity 4,500 gallons), and a filter of blast furnace slag (80 cubic yards). The tanks are loosely covered by boards. There is no proper removal of sludge, scum only being removed from time to time. A 9-in. pipe, on which are placed two inspection manholes, conveys the effluent direct to the river Usk. At my visit, sewage was escaping from the last man- hole, and the Usk at the outlet was very turbid. The “ Garn ” outfall, placed on the north bank of the Usk, serves the southern portion of the town, viz., about 120 houses and 480 population. Two sewers converge to three tanks (combined capacity 8,000 gallons), and two small filters of furnace clinker (25 cubic yards), from which the effluent, which is foul and fetid, passes direct to the Usk, rendering this highly turbid and offensive. During floods, the river covers part of the outfall works. Both these outfalls are highly unsatisfactory, especially the latter. At the “ Orchard ” outfall, the tank accommodation and filtration are inadequate. The “ Garn ” outfall is practically valueless as a means of treating sewage. Both effluents are bad. The rural district council passed in April of this year and forwarded to the Board a resolution to improve the sewage outfalls, and to prepare a scheme for submission to the Board. This resolution was demanded by the Board before the issue of an Order in May, declaring sewage disposal expenses at Crickhowell to be “ special.” Nothing definite in the way of improving these outfalls has yet been done. Sewerage is required for Llangattock village, where house slops pass either direct into the stream there, or to highway surface drains ; for the populated portions of Llanelly parish, as at Gilwern, where there are foul open gutters at the side of the road and some drains pass underneath houses, as well as direct passage of slop water to the brook; at Clydach, where slop water similarly passes to the brook and to fields, and slop nuisances of various kinds abound ; at Cheltenham, where foul water-closet contents are flushed out to fields ; and at various outlying aggregations of dwellings on the hills overlooking the Clydach valley, as at Gellifelen, where similar slop nuisances are to be found. A central sewer for parts of Llanelly parish, with proper disposal works, seems quite feasible, but the question should be referred to a competent engineer. Excrement disposal.—This is chiefly effected by privies with pits, which are usually mere holes in the ground, covered by boards or by loose stones ; but in some instances the privies are connected with middens in which ashes and excrement mingle together. Many privies are foul, and some are placed on the banks of streams into which their contents fall or are washed.