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41
Constant Supply of Water.
The great sanitary advantage which is generally claimed
for the constant system is that the drinking water can be drawn
direct from the mains, and that the dangers incidental to
storage of the water upon the premises are removed.
Since, however, it is held by the Water Companies that a
storage cistern remains necessary, even with the constant
system, in order to ensure a reserve supply when accidents or
repairs to the main necessitate the cutting-off of the water, this
great argument in favour of the adoption of the system disappears.
It is perfectly clear that if means cannot be provided to
ensure the constancy of the "constant" supply, that a storage
cistern will have to be provided; but the retention of old cisterns
insufficiently covered, fixed in bad positions and almost inaccessible
for the purposes of inspection and periodical cleansing, should
not be suffered to mar the full benefits accruing from the adoption
of the constant system. Such cisterns should be discarded, and
others substituted of apattern that dirt and vermin cannot pollute
the water, and no deposit can separate and accumulate; but
but under ordinary circumstances the drinking water should
be taken directly from the rising main by a draw-off tap.
The fact that a sufficient quantity of water will
generally be obtainable under the constant system will in
itself be a great gain to the district, a considerable amount of
the property of which has become "tenemented," and is at
present insufficiently supplied. I have had several complaints
from the parishioners on this point, the storage capacity of the
cistern being too small to meet the increased requirements of
premises now occupied by two or three families.
The Factory and Workshops Act, 1878-1895.
The powers of the Sanitary Authority under these Acts
are of such great importance to the health of the toiling
masses that it may be well to briefly set forth what these
powers are for the information of those who have not had the
opportunity of studying it. The duties of the Sanitary