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SECTION C.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
Water:
The borough is freely supplied with water from the Metropolitan
Water Board. As this supply is under continuous control no regular
examinations are made of it.
All the premises in the Borough have a piped supply of water but
in many houses and block dwellings supplies of drinking water, as well
as water to be used for other domestic purposes, are obtained from
storage tanks. Generally speaking it may be said that these tanks are
in good general condition and the majority of them are satisfactorily
covered, and do not require attention except on rare occasions.
During the year a survey was made of all the major blocks of flats
known to have storage tanks for supplying drinking water Samples of
water were taken and, where necessary, cleaning and sterilisation and
adequate covering of the tanks was enforced in accordance with the
Council's Bye-laws.
The very extreme wintry conditions experienced during the early
part of 1963 were found to have caused an excessive number of burst
pipes and those buildings having water tanks in exposed positions on
the roof suffered more than most from frost damage. In many instances
whole runs of water service pipe had to be renewed
The Metropolitan Water Board give regular information whenever
water supplies to any premises are withdrawn. This may be because the
premises have become vacant or because of defects causing waste of
water or of unpaid rates. Investigations are made by the department,
and where appropriate, action is taken to have the supply reinstated.
It has occurred on a diminishing number of occasions and in 1963 only
three instances occurred and in each case the supply was restored.
There are at present only 3deep wells known not to be fully sealed
in the Borough. These are situate in the premises of
1. Royal London House, Finsbury square.
2. City Gate House, Finsbury square.
3. Bovril Ltd., Old Street
The first two premises mentioned are partly in Crown occupation,
and samples of the water are periodically examined either by this
department or elsewhere, on behalf of the Ministry of Works. That on
the premises of Bovril Ltd., is not in actual use.
The number of water samples examined bacteriologically in 1963 was
35. Of these 4 samples were taken from deep wells and 31 from private
41.