London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Orpington 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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24.
water supply
During the year, one property was connected to the main water supply,
having previously been dependent upon stored rainwater.
Of approximately 25,000 dwellings, only 23 are not provided with a main
piped water supply, and of these 19 are situated where a water main is not available
in the roads fronting their premises. These are in isolated parts of the district
and generally dependent upon rainwater collected from roofs and stored in underground
tanks, but three premises obtain their source of supply from a private well,,
The remaining four premises are not connected to a main water supply although
it is available in the roads on to which they front. Two of these are a considerable
distance from the road, but two premises are within 80 ft. of the Metropolitan Water
Board Main.
Fourteen week-end bungalows are not connected to a main water supply.
The total number of premises still dependent upon stored rainwater or well supply is made up as follows:-
| WARD | Number of premises with Stored rainwater Well Supply | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Biggin Hill | 10 | – | |
| Chelsfield | 2 | – | |
| Cudham | 2 | – | |
| Downe | 2 | – | |
| Farnborough | – | 3 | |
| Green Street Green | 3 | – | |
| Knockholt | 1 | – | |
| 20 | 3 | ||
The Metropolitan Water Board supplies the main water for the whole of the
district.
The Public Health Department obtains samples of this water at monthly
intervals from various dwelling houses throughout the district. Forty-seven samples
were taken and the Analyst's reports show that they were all satisfactory.
The Director of Water Examination, Metropolitan Water Board, has kindly
reported on the water supply to the Urban District during the year 1964:-
"The water supply to the Orpington Urban District was satisfactory in
quantity and quality during the year 1964.
The supply to the district of Orpington was derived from Sundridge,
Lullingstone, Eynsford, Horton Kirby, Orpington and North Orpington Wells.
There vrere no new sources of supply instituted by the Board in this area
during the year 1964 and there were no new important extensions of trunk mains, but
a total length of 3,922 yards of local supply mains were laid in your area during the
year."
The following tables give the results of the chemical and bacteriological
analyses of the various supplies to Orpington during 1964.