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In some cases, however, for instance where vessels are not lying near a dock
quay, water is supplied from water barges.
Vessels lying in the River obtain their supplies direct from water mains on shore
or from water barges.
Water Barges.—As the majority of vessels obtain their water direct from
hydrants on shore, water barges are not numerous in the Port of London, there being
only 20 in all.
These water barges are filled with pure water from the mains. It is, therefore,
only necessary to ensure that no contamination of the water takes place during the
filling of the tanks or while it is stored in the barges.
This object is best achieved by a thorough inspection of the barges when empty,
special attention being paid to the interior of the tanks and to the hoses and
equipment.
The water barges must be registered annually with the Port of London Authority,
and before re-registration they must be inspected as to their fitness for navigation on
the River and in the docks. During 1929 the Port of London Authority agreed to
co-operate with the Port Sanitary Authoritv by informing them when each water barge
was due for their annual inspection, and by making re-registration conditional, not
only upon the fitness of the barge for navigation, but also upon a favourable report
from the Port Sanitary Authority as to the fitness of the barge for the carriage of
drinking water.
This arrangement has worked smoothly and well, and whenever your officers
have reported defects on any water barge the Port of London Authority have withheld
re-registration until they have received from your Medical Officer a report to the effect
that such defects have been remedied.
IV.— INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
For the prevention of the importation of infectious disease it is necessary to
arrange for the medical inspection of vessels :—
(1) Proceeding up the River Thames.
(2) Proceeding up the River Medway.
Vessels proceeding up the Thames.—The Port Sanitary Authority maintain
a hulk, the " Hygeia," moored in the River, off Gravesend, about 26 miles below
London Bridge, on which there is a Medical Officer on duty day and night.
No arrangements have been made for the notification by wireless to the Port
Sanitary Authority of the time of arrival of inward vessels requiring the attention of
the Boarding Medical Officer, but advance information is frequently given to the
Authority by shipowners, agents and others who have been in wireless communication
with such ships, particularly when infectious sickness has occurred on board.
A Customs launch is always on duty in Gravesend Reach, and the Boarding
Medical Officer goes off with the" Preventive Officer to hail every vessel arriving from
"foreign."
The Preventive Officer questions the Master as to where the vessel is from, where
berthing, the nature of the cargo, whether all are well on board and whether any
sickness has occurred during the voyage. If the Master reports the occurrence of
sickness or if the vessel has called at an infected port, the Medical Officer goes on
board and makes such enquiries and examinations as are indicated.
To avoid frequent changes in the list of infected ports, which would lead to
confusion, the Medical Officers are instructed to board all ships which have come
from ports in the Eastern Hemisphere, South of latitude 45° N. (except European
ports West of longitude 20° E.) and ships from ports in the Western Hemisphere
South of latitude 30° N.