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13
is the pollution of public water supplies with attendant risks of
water-borne infection. Apart from gross obvious damage to mains,
with possibly similar damage to near-by sewers, it was considered
possible that less obvious damage could be done to a main which,
coupled with reduction in pressure in the mains through damage
at some other point, could allow of contamination of the contents.
The routine practice of the Water Company, however, affords
protection against this possibility as the steps taken are those
which follow on the assumption that fracture has occurred until
it is proved that the mains are undamaged. When a main has
been joined up at a crater, precautions are taken before the main
is allowed to transmit water into supply to ensure that no further
point of leakage exists. Special attention is being paid to the
proper sterilization of those mains to be rejoined and watch is
kept for the presence of contamination at the sites. A further
precaution which is taken by the Company is the submission for
analysis at their laboratories of samples of water taken from
premises supplied by the affected mains. Apart from these, samples
are taken by the sanitary inspectors and transmitted for analysis
to the Emergency Laboratories. As a further precaution, if,
at any time, there is reason to suppose that the supply may have
become unsafe, consumers will be warned to treat water for drinking
or culinary use either by boiling or, where this is not practicable,
by chemicals. As yet the district has been fortunate in the limited
extent to which damage has been done either to its water mains
or sewers. On one occasion damage to a sewer resulted in a
damming back of the drainage from a school playground so that it
was considered advisable to close school for a few days.
The last reference to the possible effects of the war on local
health is merely touching a subject which may have important
indirect bearings. With the demands of H.M. Forces on labour
there is the likelihood of the recruits to certain fields of industry
being less skilled than those whom they are replacing. In the
industrial sphere this would lead possibly to merely a temporary
lowering of output or might result in a lowered standard of quality.
Such a factor might have important bearings on health if the
men skilled in the operation of large plants for the pasteurising of
milk should now be replaced by those new to the work or similarly
if those skilled in food production who have been educated to
certain hygienic standards have perforce to be replaced. Against
some of these risks which are enlarged in war time it is
possible for persons as individuals to take precautions to protect
themselves. There are three diseases whose incidence might
well be increased as an outcome of enemy action against which
prophylactic measures can be taken. Typhoid fever is one of the
diseases which may become more prevalent because of the
lowered hygienic standards of food production or food control,
because of an increase in the number of carriers especially