View report page

78
(78) For the purposes of section 48 (provisions as to house
without proper water supply) of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, a tenement house shall be deemed to be a house
without a proper and sufficient supply of water unless there
shall be provided on the storey or one of the storeys in which
the rooms or lodgings in the separate occupation of each family
occupying such house are situate a sufficient provision for the
supply of water for domestic purposes.
It is provided, however, that this section shall not apply to
"any tenement house in respect of which it can be shown that any
such provision for the supply of water as aforesaid is not reasonably
necessary."
During the year 1908 the above section was put in force, and
the number of houses dealt with was 24. In each house a water
tap and a glazed earthenware sink were provided on each floor. The
provision of a sink is important, for without it the water tap might
become a source of dampness and cause considerable damage to the
house. The section of the General Powers Act quoted above makes
no provision for a sink, and in some cases the owners having provided
water taps refused to fix sinks beneath them. In these cases
the house appeared to be without the "sufficient drain" required by
section 73 of the Metropolis Management Act, 1855, and after the
service of notices under that section the sinks were duly provided.
During the year the sanitary regulation of tenement houses
was further advanced by the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1908, which contains the following section relating to
accommodation for cooking of food—tenement houses frequently lack
such accommodation.
If at any time it appears to any sanitary authority that in
any tenement house within their district sufficient and suitable
accommodation for the cooking of food is not provided for the
use of each family occupying such house on the storey or one
of the storeys in which are situate the rooms or lodgings in the
separate occupation of such family, such sanitary authority may
cause notice to be served on the owner of such house requiring
him within such reasonable time as may be specified in the
notice to provide sufficient and suitable accommodation for the
purpose aforesaid.