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8
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DISTRICT.
Wa/er Supply.—The Metropolitan Water Board serves the whole
district with a constant water supply, the water being pumped from
deep chalk wells into reservoirs. Almost every house derives its water
from this source—a very few private wells still exist—and a great many
houses take the drinking water direct from the main, thereby avoiding
the risk of contamination by dirty cisterns.
The water is sparkling, remarkably pure, free from organic matter,
and pleasant to drink. Owing to the large amount of mineral
substances held in solution it is very hard. On boiling, the carbonic
acid gas which holds the carbonate of lime or chalk in solution is
driven off and the chalk is deposited as " fur " in kettles and hot water
pipes, and thus the cause of the temporary hardness is removed, but
the sulphate of lime, nitrate of magnesium and chloride of sodium
causing permanent hardness remain in solution. There are no
scientific objections to the use of hard drinking water, and there is no
danger of lead being dissolved from the lead supply pipes.
Rivers and Streams.—On a few occasions steps were taken to
prevent occupiers of premises on the banks of the Ravensbourne
throwing rubbish into the river.
Drainage ar.d Sewerage.—Almost every house in the district is
connected to the Council Sewers, which in turn empty into the sewers
of the West Kent Main Sewerage Board. The few houses that have
cesspools are those that stand in large grounds and either have
inadequate fall to drain to a sewer, or are too far distant therefrom.
Closet Accommodation.—For reasons set out above nearly every
house has one or more water closets with proper flushing apparatus.
Scavenging.—The Council remove house refuse once in each week
and it is tipped direct into the cells of the destructor. There are no
privies, earth closets or cesspools for the Council to scavenge.
Practically all the "ashpits" in use are of the moveable type. The
Dust Destructor had been shut down about two years, but was started
again in March, 1919,