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131
the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board, on the
subject of Precautions against Cholera, previously adverted
to at page 45 it was advised that " any connexions of waste.
pipes of cisterns with drains should be severed." As this
advice was entirely in agreement with the views of your
Vestry, advantage was taken of the opportunity it afforded
to draw attention, once again, to the imperfections of the
law and of the water regulations, which do not allow of Sanitary
Authorities carrying out the recommendations of the
Board's Medical Officer. Communications were forthwith
addressed to the Board, to the Vestries and District Boards,
and to the local Waterworks Companies. The Board was
informed that your Vestry was sensible of the value of the
advice given, and fully concurred with the Water Examiner,
that if Regulation 14 were " carried out in its integrity," it
would " prevent contamination of the water from the gases
generated by sewage." Request, therefore, was made that
the Board should take steps to secure the severance of all
connexions of waste.pipes with drains by urging the Companies
to put Regulation 14 into immediate and general
operation by serving the required notice on consumers..
Should the Companies refuse or neglect, the Board was
asked to consider as to the desirability of bringing in a Bill
to confer on Sanitary Authorities power to enforce the
regulation.
The Sanitary Authorities were requested to support your
Vestry's action in the matter by addressing a similar communication
to the Board and by recommending the several
Water Companies to put the regulation in force, and thereby
bring about a much needed and important sanitary improvement.
. Regulation 14. " No overflow or waste.pipe other than a ' warning.pipe '
shall be attached to any cistern supplied with water by the Company, and every
such overflow or waste.pipe existing at the time when these Regulations come
into operation shall be removed, or at the option of the consumer shall be converted
into an efficient ' warning.pipe,' within two calendar months next after the
Company shall have given to the occupier of, or left at the premises in which such
cistern is situate a notice in writing requiring such alteration to be made.