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Fulham.—The medical officer of health refers to complaints of insufficient pressure in the West
Middlesex Company's main supplying the Queen's Club Gardens Estate, where some 300 flats are
occupied. In connection with the quality of the water he states that " samples of the water supplied
by both companies (West Middlesex and Chelsea) taken in November last, were pronounced by
Mr. Clayton, the public analyst, to be of unsatisfactory quality and not suited for dietetic purposes."
Hackney.—The medical officer of health reports that " during the summer of 1894 complaints
were received from the tenants of houses in Hackney, supplied with water by the East London Company,
that the supply was cut off at night and only restored for a few hours during the day. This irregularity
was continued for some months, much correspondence taking place between the Hackney sanitary
authority and the company; but all to no purpose, as the action of the company was fully protected
by their Water Acts." A report of the sanitary committee stated that the water company forwarded a
copy of a report of their engineer " upon the causes necessitating the shutting off at night in portions
of the company's district, to the effect that it is due to the drought of last year, and also that there is a
great waste of water, as, even with the intermittent service, the company is giving 249 gallons per
tenement daily, an amount fully equal to the average of all the metropolitan companies."
Shoreditch.—The medical officer of health comments on the cutting-off of the water during the
night in the portion of the parish which is supplied by the East London Company. Similar references
are made in the reports of the medical officers of health of St. George-in-the-East and Bow.
The reports of the medical officers of health of the Wandsworth district show that several local
wells were closed during the year, and water laid on to the houses from the mains of the water company.
Constant Water Supply.
The annual report of the chief officer of the Council's Public Control Department shows that
constant water supply was extended during the year ending 25th March, 1895, so that at that date 83
per cent, of the houses in London were thus receiving their water.
Amendment of Regulations as to Water-fittings.
In my last report I gave account of the proceedings of the Public Health Committee in connection
with the subject of the regulations relating to water-fittings. On the 3rd January, 1894, the
Committee reported to the Council as follows—
On the 12th of December last we reported to the Council upon certain suggested alterations in the
water companies' regulations with regard to water-closet flushing cisterns and other matters, and we
made the following recommendation—
That the Local Government Board be informed that, for the reasons given in the report, the
Council is strongly of opinion—
(a) That regulation No. 21, under the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, should be amended so as to
read as follows—
" Every water-closet, cistern or water-closet service box hereafter fitted or fixed in
" which water supplied by the company is to be used, shall have an efficient waste"
preventing apparatus, so constructed as not to be capable of discharging more than
" three gallons of water at each flush."
(b) That the requirements as to the supply of water to water-closets should apply equally to
the supply of water to sinks used for receiving any solid or liquid filth.
(c) That a regulation should be made which shall prevent cisterns being brought into use for
supplying water for domestic purposes, or for food for beasts, so long as they directly
supply any water-closet or sink used for receiving any solid or liquid filth.
(d) That in all cases where any premises have a constant water service, one or more taps should
be provided in connection with the rising main for the supply of water for drinking
purposes.
The Council adopted the recommendation with the omission of the words " not" and " more than "
in line 3 of regulation 21, the effect of this alteration being to make it obligatory that cisterns shall be
capable of discharging three gallons of water at each flush.
The Council's views were communicated to the Local Government Board, and the Board now points
out that the scope of the regulations referred to is limited to the prevention of waste, misuse, undue
consumption and contamination of water, and calls attention to the fact that recommendation (a), as
amended by the Council, cannot be considered as having for its object the prevention of either waste,
misuse, or contamination. We agree with the Board in these remarks, and under the circumstances,
have no alternative but to repeat our former recommendation, which was to the effect that the cisterns
should be capable of discharging not more than three gallons. The Council could, if it thought fit, make
a by-law, under section 39 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, prescribing a minimum, capacity of
flushing cisterns, but, as the by-laws under this Act have so recently come into operation, we do not
advise the Council to take this course at present. We propose, however, to consider this point when
the by-laws are revised.
The Local Government Board suggests that the most convenient method of bringing the question
to an issue will be for the Council to make formal application to the water companies under section 19
of the Act of 1871 to make such alterations as the Council may judge to be reasonable and as are
warranted by the Act; and that in the event of the companies' refusal it will be competent for the
Board to proceed in the manner directed in the section. We accordingly recommend—
That the Committee be authorised to make formal application to the London water companies
for the amendment of their regulations in the particulars specified in the recommendations made
by the Committee to the Council in December last, and quoted above.
The report of the Committee was adopted.
On the 9th October the Council adopted the following report of the Public Health Committee—
In accordance with the resolution of the Council of the 30th January last, we addressed communications
to the London water companies in February, asking them to make the following alterations in
the regulations made under the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, viz.—
(a) To amend regulation No. 21 so as to read as follows—
"Every water-closet, cistern or water-closet service box hereafter fitted or fixed in which
"water supplied by the company is to be used shall have an efficient waste-preventing apparatus,
"so constructed as not to be capable of discharging more than three gallons of water at each
"flush."
(b) To amend tho regulations so that the requirements as to the supply of water to waterclosets
shall apply equally to the supply of water to sinks used for receiving any solid or liquid filth.
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