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176
The Act prescribes three modes by which a constant supply
of water may be obtained : (1) Any Company may propose to
give it; (2) the Metropolitan Authority (County Council) may
call upon a Company to provide it; and (3) failing the above,
and under certain conditions, the Local Government Board may
require it. In general the constant supply has been voluntarily
given by the Companies. Neither the Metropolitan Authority
in the past (the Metropolitan Board of Works), nor the Local
Government Board, nor the Board of Trade, whose powers are
now executed by the Local Government Board, having called
upon the Companies to provide it. The ground alleged by the
(late) Metropolitan Authority for their failure to call upon the
Companies to provide constant supply was that the Companies
had made the regulations so stringent as to constitute a heavy
and unnecessary burden on the owners and occupiers of
houses. It is nevertheless the fact that the Companies
having taken the initiative, 56 per cent. of the houses in
the Metropolis now have the constant supply, and the system
is being extended daily. It remains to be seen whether the
County Council will persist in the negative policy adopted
by their predecessors.
Subsequent to the passing of the Act of 1871, the Water
Companies have incurred a considerable expenditure, amounting
altogether to £4,438,180; for the improvement of the water
supply, both in quantity and quality, by extending the storage
capacity of their reservoirs, and increasing their areas of
filtration; as well as by providing for the requirements
of constant supply; by the construction of high service
reservoirs for filtered water; the laying of mains, and the
addition of powerful machinery to their works. These
measures have tended to improve the supply of water to
the Metropolis. The total expenditure of the Companies
on works, improvements, &c., to the end of 1888, amounted
to £14,413,179, of which £272,746 was expended during the
past year.