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for drinking or domestic purposes, provide that the occupier of the
premises shall empty and cleanse the cistern or receptacle once at least
in every six months, and at such times as may be necessary to keep the
same in a cleanly state and free from pollution. The offender against
this bye-law is liable to a penalty of Five Pounds. Householders
frequently excuse their neglect by stating that it is the duty of the
landlord to cleanse the cistern, or say that the cistern only supplies the
closets, and quite overlook the fact that a draw-off tap from the cistern
is liable to be used by housemaids and others for filling bedroom jugs
and waterbottles.
The artizan or tenant of the labourer classes pays more attention to
his water supply than his more wealthy neighbour, it being a frequent
habit of the former to cleanse out his cistern as a Sunday morning
recreation. Covers of cisterns should be well fitting to exclude light
and dust.
Whilst constant supply has become almost general in the parish,
there still remain houses which depend upon cistern storage for their
drinking water, and all houses should be provided with cisterns for
storage of water for ordinary domestic purposes, for cleansing, and for the
flushing of drains and waterclosets. To have the full benefit of constant
supply, the drinking and cooking water should be drawn from the rising
main or service pipe by a screw-down draw-off tap, and a tap should be
provided for turning off the water from the main in frosty weather.
Removal of Manure. —No less than 389 orders were necessary for
the removal of manure. Private owners of stables appear to have more
and more difficulty in securing the prompt removal of stable manure,
especially in hay and harvest time. The Sanitary Authority has power
under Section 36 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, to collect
and remove refuse of this sort within their district, but has no
power to charge for such removal. In consequence of the numerous
complaints of nuisances arising from stable manure, especially in
certain mews, the divisional inspectors were instructed to visit these
premises at least three times a week. The use of peat moss litter in the
various stables of omnibus and tramway companies, where many horses
are stabled, has also been the cause of much nuisance to the surrounding