View report page

7
solid and organic impurities have varied, still from the Reports of Drs.
Frankland and Tidy, this Company's water has compared very favourably
with the waters supplied to the metropolis by other companies.
With the exception of a small section on the south side of the East
Ward, the whole of the Hamlet is now supplied by constant service.
This is a very great boon, not only in giving a practically unlimited
supply, but by enabling the abolition, for domestic purposes, of butts
and cisterns in which water became contaminated with all kinds of filth.
I am of opinion, however, that for the closet supply there should be
an intervening cistern between the closet waste preventer or flushing
box and the main supply, otherwise I feel confident there will be danger
of the water in the supply pipes and mains becoming poisoned by sewer
gases, more especially if the apparatus of the box gets out of order, the
communication between sewer and water supply being too direct. I
believe I have traced mischief to this source. I have also seen instances
in which the pipes for the domestic and closet supplies were placed at
such levels, that the action of one stopped or emptied the pipe supplying
the other, so that the water in the pipe supplying the closet was drawn
off through the tap supplying the house; defective valves would also
ensure the water being charged with sewer gases.
The system of water cisterns placed over water closets still extensively
prevails, and should be forthwith abolished, or an entirely separate
cistern should be provided for domestic purposes; in the numerous
cases where one only is used for both domestic and closet purposes, a
direct communication is established between the water cistern and sewer,
and the water becomes, more or less, impregnated with sewer gases;
for this reason I have for years past advised the Vestry not to enforce,
under the intermittent supply system, a supply of water to the closets
where only one cistern would be provided, but rather trust to flushing
their closets, which I am informed they do satisfactorily.
An unlimited and cheap water supply would be of the greatest aid
to the physical, moral and sanitary improvement of the people. With
such supply accessible, they would begin to learn the value and benefit
of its more frequent and plentiful application and general use, both to
themselves and their surroundings. As to its potable qualities we
must at present rely, to a great extent, upon the goodwill and energy
of the various companies supplying the metropolis.
The East London Company appear to be doing their utmost to
deliver to their consumers as pure a supply as possible. Four new