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45
It is said that the provision of house cisterns are necessary for
"unavoidable temporary intermissions of the supply occurring
during the repair of mains, etc." This appears not to have been
discovered by the company until the year 1895, although the district
has had the constant supply since the year 1888. But as a matter
of fact the inconvenience arising from the repair of mains, etc., does
not usually last more than a few hours; and if it did continue
longer would not be met by the provision of a cistern, neither would
the much greater inconvenience and danger to health, caused by
the total withdrawal of the water supply by the water company for
small leakages discovered in the communication pipes, be removed
by the same means; for it is not suggested that the contemplated
cistern shall hold more than one day's supply; and again, we have
no evidence in the Health Department that any complaints have
been made of inconvenience suffered during the necessary repair of
mains.
It would appear as though the Water Company comtemplated
the annual summer recurrence of their failure to maintain the
constant supply, and this by the association of ideas has convinced
them of the necessity for cisterns for the minor interruptions
produced by repairs, etc., of the mains. If it is intended annually
to revert to the intermittent service, some means of storage with its
obvious disadvantages will have to be provided; but if the constant
service is maintained, cisterns except for flushing the water closets
and the supply of the hot water service, are unnecessary. The
obligation of the Company to keep certain mains constantly charged
at a certain pressure to meet possible fires should be extended to the
domestic supply.
It is very difficult to believe that any London Water Company,
after the experience of the last 20 years, would contemplate the idea
of a return to the intermittent supply, except under the belief that
the latter is more economical and less wasteful than the former
service. Waste may take place under any service, and is quite
independent in my opinion of the service. It will depend upon the
integrity of the water-fittings and mains and upon the character of