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248
1903]
been his constant endeavour to abolish cisterns, or at least to obtain a direct
supply as an alternative. He has succeeded beyond his expectations, although
on several occasions he experienced great difficulty with the New River
Company in securing his requirements. The Public Health Committee have
always supported him in his efforts, and, indeed, have for many years insisted
that, unless every new house is supplied with water for domestic supply direct
from the main, they will not recommend the Council to grant a certificate, as
required by sec. 48 (2) of the Public Health London Act, 1891, without which
a house cannot be occupied.
The advantages of a direct supply from the main are, however, heavily
discounted so long as the cistern is allowed to remain, for unfortunately it
happens that the draw-off taps from the main are usually only fitted in the
lowest part of the houses, either in the kitchens or sculleries, while the supplies
for baths and lavatory basins upstairs are obtained through cisterns. This is
usually the water which is used for drinking purposes in the bed rooms, and
for washing the teeth and mouth, and, therefore, such a supply sti'l remains a
grave danger to the public health.
Now if we examine the reason that the Water Companies object to a
direct supply we will find that they allege that "the extreme daily demand for
water which occurs between the hours of 8 and n in the morning is met by a
cistern supply, and this is gradually renewed as the demand slackens. The
work of water conveyance devolving on the mains is in this way distributed
throughout a great part of the 24 hours, and neither their capacity nor the
pressure on them need be so great as in the case of a system of supply in which
house storage would have no part, and in which they would have to deliver,
perhaps, one-fourth of the whole daily supply within the period mentioned
above."*
There is no question but that the demand in the early part of the day is
caused by the use of the water for flushing W.C.'s. Of course there are other
calls on the supply, although this one is undoubtedly by far the greatest.
But this demand on the companies should not prevent them allowing the
general use of a direct supply for drinking and cooking and ordinary domestic
purposes, for they could still retain the storage cisterns for the supply of water
* Report for 1902 of the Water Examiner to the Local Government Board.