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9
taken to expand the accommodation available to the overcrowded
health office staff. Some adaptations were also
carried out and working conditions have greatly improved.
WATER, WATER, EVERWHERE-
But not a drop from your garden hose until 1965 at
the earliest, if you live in that part of Ilford served by the
South Essex Waterworks Company. (S.E.W.C. )
It is difficult to believe in this very wet first half of
July 1960 that last summer was phenomenally dry. School
kitchens on occasions were without adequate supplies for the
provision of meals, toilets in schools and a cinema were
without flushing facilities and the local hospital found itself
in great difficulties. The S.E.W.C. attributed much of the
trouble to excessive use of hosepipes for watering private
gardens and on the 8th July "temporarily" prohibited their
use.
The western part of the borough is served by the
Metropolitan Water Board (M.W.B. ) who can supply all the
water required in their section, although even the Board
noted a drop in water pressure in the evenings in the Clayhall
area during that period due to abnormal garden watering.
They anticipate no future difficulties. The future outlook
in the S.E.W.C. section is however very different. Although
the Hanningfield Reservoir has been recently completed, a
new boosting station about to come into operation and a new
main to be constructed from the Heaton Grange Reservoir
(Romford) commencing this November, in order to meet the
demand for domestic and industrial purposes up to 1965
garden watering must be suspended.
To meet the demand in 1965 the S.E.W.C. are negotiating
for a supply from the only river now available to
them in the County (the name of the river is not disclosed
to me). If, however, the Order from the Ministry for the
abstraction of this water is not granted the situation will become
serious until 1968, involving the strictest economy in
the use of water for domestic and trade purposes.
Why 1968? The M.W.B. now endeavour but cannot
guarantee to let the S.E.W.C. have 3½ million gallons daily
from their Lee Bridge Works and some deep wells. There
is no hope of improvement from this source for the River