Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on vital statistics and sanitary work for the year 1895
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plaints were made in 1892, when the London
County Council informed the Vestry that the West
Middlesex Water Company were preparing to put
in a constant service and that "the district in question
will probably be dealt with in the course of the ensuing
twelve months," i.e., before July, 1893.
In consequence of the complaints made last
summer, communications were addressed to the principal
house owner in the streets affected, who was also
the builder of the majority of the houses, to the
London County Council, and to the West Middlesex
Water Company. The Water Company attributed
the insufficiency of supply to want of proper cisterns
(each house has a cistern of from 40 to 100 gallons),
but the builder stated that the Company's officials
passed the cisterns and fittings when the houses were
first built, and that the fittings, especially the servicepipe,
were for a constant service. The real cause of
the insufficiency was more probably the small size
of the mains in the street, as the Surveyor stated that
the delivery was too slow to enable the water carts
to be filled in a reasonable time. The occupants
alleged that the water never came into the houses
during the day, as distinguished from the night, so
that the size of the house cistern would not have much
influence under such circumstances. It should further
be noted that the complaints were made at a time
when the roads required constant watering. The
Water Company did not allege that the insufficiency