Catalogue description Ministry of Housing and Local Government: Engineering Inspectorate: River Pollution Survey, Unregistered Papers and Plans

The Engineering Inspectorate was responsible for advising the administrative divisions on all engineering aspects of the department's work, especially in relation to water supply, sewerage, sewage and refuse disposal, burial grounds, crematoria, and coast protection. It also rendered assistance to the administrative divisions, particularly the division responsible for water and sewerage, in the drafting of new legislation and resulting regulations. Towards the end of the 1960s the inspectorate was re-named the Directorate of Engineering.

The inspectors were available for informal consultation with local authorities concerning new projects and also conducted public local inquiries and heard appeals and disputes referred to the minister for decision under Public Health, Water, Local Government, Coast Protection, Highways, Rivers and other acts. Chemical inspectors, attached to the inspectorate, specialised in water quality and treatment the treatment of sewage and liquid industrial wastes, and the disposal of liquid and solid toxic wastes. A survey on river pollution was carried out by the inspectorate in 1958.