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10
WATER SUPPLY.
The whole of the District is supplied with water by the Metropolitan
Water Board. The water is derived from two sources:—(a)
The greater part of the District being supplied with water from the
Lambeth Section of the Board's Service; and (b) A small part
approximately confined to the Shortland's Ward, receiving its supply
from deep wells sunk in the chalk, and known as the " Kent Wells.''
The Lambeth supply consists of water taken from the River Thames,
which, after a period of storage, followed by filtration, is delivered
for use.
There is a constant service of water to every house, and most
of the houses have a pipe direct from the main for drinking purposes,
so that the water can be obtained as pure as possible and not
exposed to the dangers attendant on storage cisterns.
SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE.
The Sewage and excreta of the District are removed by the
Water Carriage System. The sewers are on the "separate system,"
that is to say, there is one set of pipes for sewage and another for
surface and storm water.
For the purposes of sewage removal, Beckenham is divided into
two Districts, namely, the Beckenham Sewerage Area and the West
Kent Area. The former district comprises the Kent House and
Laurie Park Wards (area 567 acres), and the latter, the remainder
of the District (area 3,314 acres). The dividing line between the
two areas is the Crystal Palace and the West End Railway, the
Poole River, and a short length of the South Eastern and Chatham
Railway.
The Drainage of the Beckenham Sewerage Area discharges into
the Penge and Bell Green Sewer, which latter sewer (taking also
the sewage from Penge) connects to the Metropolitan Sewers at
Lewisham, the main outfall of which Metropolitan Sewer is situate
at Crossness, on the River Thames.
The Sewers of the West Kent area discharge at several points
into the two main sewers of the West Kent Sewerage Board, the
sewage being eventually collected at Dartford, where, after purification,
it is discharged into the Thames.