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81
Water Supply.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, the following
information is included in regard to the water supply of the area.
1. The water supply of the Borough and its several parts
has been satisfactory both in quality and quantity.
2. All houses in this Borough have water services laid on
from the Metropolitan Water Board's mains. No bacteriological
or chemical analyses were made by this Authority of the raw water
going into supply.
3. The water supplied to this district by the Metropolitan
Water Board does not give rise to plumbo-solvent action.
4. There were no contamination areas.
On Saturday, March 13th, intimation was given to the public
by wireless that the filter beds at the River Lea Works of the
Metropolitan Water Board had become contaminated by the overflow
of the River Lea. The Board stated that some pollution of
the mains had occurred. Immediate arrangements were made
locally to publicise the necessity "to boil water before use" and
with the willing co-operation of a local printer and an advertising
agent posters were prepared and actually posted on hoardings
throughout the Borough the next day, Sunday, 14th March.
At the same time contact was made with all churches and cinemas
and their co-operation sought in warning the public. Later
public houses, cafes, restaurants, chemists' shops, Council's
institutions, including schools, were visited by the District Inspectors
and information given as to the methods necessary to avoid
infection.
The supply position in this Borough was much less acute than
in some of the neighbouring districts. Generally, there was little
evidence of lack of supply except at some institutions and factories
where consequent upon loss of pressure, it was not possible to fill
storage tanks. Measures were taken by the Metropolitan Water
Board to meet these requirements.
In conjunction with the Board samples of water were taken in
various parts of the Borough and all were found to be satisfactory.