An official Report states: “When the accumulations of years had to be removed from the sewers, the rate of cost per lineal mile has varied from about 40l. to 58l., or from 6d. to 8d. per lineal yard. The works in these cases (excepting those in the City) have not exceeded nine lineal miles.”
“On an average of weeks,” says Mr. Lovick, in his Report on flushing operations, a few months after the introduction of the contract system, in Sept., 1848, “under present arrangements, about 62 miles of sewers are passed through each week, and deposit prevented from accumulating in them by periodic (weekly) flushing. The average cost per lineal mile per week is about 2l. 10s.
“The nature of the agreements with the contractors or gangers are now for the prevention of accumulations of deposit in a district. For this purpose the large districts are subdivided, each subdivision being let to one man. In the Westminster district there are four, in the Holborn and Finsbury two, in the Surrey and Kent, seven subdivisions.
“The Tower Hamlets and Poplar districts are each let to one man.
“In the Tower Hamlets it will be perceived that a reduction of 8l. has been effected for the performance of precisely the same work as that heretofore performed; the rates of charge standing thus:—
| “Under the | day-work | system | 23l. | per week. |
| „ | contract | „ | 15l. | „ |
“In those portions specially contracted for, the work has been let by the lineal measure of the sewer, in preference to the amount of deposit removed.
“In the Surrey and Kent districts the open ditches have been cleansed thrice as often as formerly.
“A large proportion of the deposit removed is from the open ditches; in these the accumulations are rapid and continuous, caused chiefly by their being the receptacles for the ashes and refuse of the houses, the refuse of manufactories, and the sweepings of the roads.
“In the covered sewers one of the chief sources of accumulation is the detritus and mud from the streets, swept into the sewers.