[Report 1891] / Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Wight Rural District Council.

  • Isle of Wight (England). Rural District Council. n 83204987.
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1891] / Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Wight Rural District Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/60 (page 31)
    3* the parish, which has ncrw been formed into a separate drain¬ age district, has, for sometime, had an independent water supply from the reservoir of the Totland Bay Company, at Headon Hill. A company’have, during the past year, con¬ structed waterworks at Freshwater Gate, from which nearly the whole of the remaining portion of the parish, and possibly Yarmouth also, may be supplied with pure water from the Chalk. The well, from which it is derived, is sunk close to the junction of the Chalk with the Tertiary Strata, to the depth of only 14ft. or 15ft. It is pumped from thence to a reservoir of 180,000 gals, or 190,000 gals, capacity, situated upon Afton Down, seme 280ft. above the sea. An engine pumps about 12,000 gals, per hour into the reservoir. You applied to the Isle of Wight Waterworks Company last Shanklin year to continue their main from Gatten to Shanklin, where watei SUPP T some of the wells had become polluted, although several of them contain most excellent water. Your Inspector canvass¬ ed the district, and the Company, being satisfied with the number of promises to take the water obtained by him, com¬ plied with your request, and that part of Shanklin within your District has now an independent water supply. You have had reported to you for several years, that cot- SUPPU tages, known as Pan Cottages, occupied by agricultural labour- cottages. ers, had no proper water supply. The people dipped from a soak hole at the bottom of a large garden, periodically dressed with pig manure, the water of which was very impure. These cottages are situated on the edge of the Chalk. Under pres¬ sure from your Authority, a well was sunk in the Tertiary Clay and not in the Chalk, where water would have been found. Much money was thrown away, and the attempt was abandon¬ ed, as you could not compel the provision of water within the cost prescribed by the P.H.(W.)A., 1878, The property has recently changed owners, and during the year, in compliance with the suggestion of your officers, a pipe has been laid from the Newport water main, at Shide, and an independent water service secured. It is very satisfactory that the comfort of these poor people has been ministered to, as well as their risk of disease diminished. These important works of independent water-supply to four populous places, and the no less important supply of pure water to a few of the hard working peasantry, have raised your District, permanently, to a higher sanitary level. There are some, unfortunately, still left, who take what is known as the parochial view of sanitary improvements, and who regard as of no interest to them what does not directly affect their im¬ mediate neighbourhood. An apt illustration once addressed to you by a gentleman, whose breadth of view is associated t with a wide experience and knowledge of sanitary matters, is worth repeating. He said a stone thrown into the centre of