§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDasked the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Tite), as a Member of the Metropolitan Board of Works, The progress made in the Main Drainage of the Metropolitan District, and when the same will probably be completed?
§ MR. TITEsaid, he would endeavour to answer the two Questions of the noble Lord. The main drainage was very nearly completed. On the Surrey side, with one or two slight exceptions, the drainage was entirely completed; the exceptions were, a short length of sewer at Putney, and the setting to work of the pumping engines at Crosness. On the Middlesex side there were three lines of sewers. The high level was entirely finished, and so was the middle level. These were in a state of complete operation, and the intentions 206 of those who projected them had been carried into effect. The only work remaining was the sewer connected with the Thames Embankment, but this was proceeding as rapidly as possible. On the last inspection which was made of this sewer, the Metropolitan Board found that a considerable length of it had been completed, and they passed through from 300 to 400 feet of it. This sewer, from its position, would be completed long before the embankment. As to the second Question, the time at which the works would be completed, the engineer, in his report of the 2nd instant, said that the main drainage works both on the north and south sides of the Thames would be completed, and come into operation, by the 29th of March next, with the exception of the low level sewer on the north side, which was connected with the Thames Embankment. This would not come into complete operation until the embankment was far advanced, which might probably be in a couple of years. The total cost of the entire works would be about £4,000,000 of money. The total length of the sewers was fifty miles, and the total area drained was 115 square miles.