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62
EAST LONDON WATER SUPPLY.
FROST, DROUGHT, AND FLUSHING CISTERNS.
During the months of March and April, 376 premises had their
water supplies cut off by the East London Water Works Company, on
account of defective fittings, and the Company duly notified in writing
under the Public Health (London) Act, Section 49, each case to the
Sanitary Authority. There is no doubt that the defects in the water
fittings were due to the freezing of the water through the severe and
almost unprecedented cold penetrating the earth. Intimations were
served by the Sanitary Inspectors on the owners, informing them that
their premises had no water supply, and therefore were unfit for
human habitation under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891
Constant enquiries were made at the premises, orders for disinfectants
supplied where necessary, and post cards left with the tenants to be
posted to the offices of the Board as soon as the water supply had
been reinstated. The Sanitary Committee directed that no action
against the owners should be taken as the supplies were being
reinstated as soon as possible. Great difficulty was experienced in
obtaining plumbers, in consequence of the constant demand upon them,
There was also much delay in taking up paving and excavating the
ground, because unskilled men could not be relied upon, as they
would be liable to break paving, and not every man can get out
earth within a small compass. The foremen and turncocks used
their best endeavours to mend the burst mains, working on Sundays,
etc., and up to late hours in the evening.
Then came the drought, in consequence of which the East
London Water Works Company, during the month of June found it
necessary to reduce the supply of water pumped, and they further
restricted the supply from July 13th in three-fourths of their district
to two or three hours daily. The effect was that a large
number of houses in the poorer districts, not being provided with
cisterns, the inhabitants were naturally placed to serious inconvenience
and water-closets and drains were unable to be flushed. On account