Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Williton Rural District, with special reference to the appointment of medical officer of health.

  • Reece, Richard James, 1862-1924.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Williton Rural District, with special reference to the appointment of medical officer of health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    11/20 (page 9)
    At Alcombe, a pipe sewer has been laid by a private landowner to sewer his property in the higher part of the village, and this pipe sewer joins to the old road drain ; this in turn is connected with a system of pipe sewers which has been put in by the other landowner of the village. The sewage is discharged to settling tanks, whence it passes through coke breeze filters, the effluent from which is distributed over meadow land by broad irrigation. Porloclc and Doverliay have a sewerage system, the cost of which was provided for by loan, sanction to which was granted in 1899 and 1909 after local inquiry by the Board. The sewTage is discharged to the sea. Luccombe.—A landowner has connected drains of certain houses on his property to a sewer which discharges to a tank, the overflow from which is irrigated over meadow land. Luxborough.—The part of the parish known as Church Town has a sewer which discharges to a cesspool; and Kingsbridge has a sewer which discharges to a small tank, whence the effluent passes to a stream. Old Cleeve.—The village has been sewered by the local landowner, and most of the house drains are connected to the sewerage system. The sewage is discharged to a small grit chamber, whence it passes over slate contact beds 12 feet by 12 feet by 8 feet deep. The effluent passes to a ditch and finds its way across a field. Washford has been partially sewered by the district council, and the sewage is discharged in a crude state to a stream. Timberscombe is sewered partly by pipe sewers and partly by an old stone road drain. The outfall is to a ditch, along which the sewage passes to ultimately find its way to a stream. Wootton Courtney is partly sewered, and the work is being done by sections. The sewage is discharged to a watercourse. Disposal and removal of excrement and refuse.—The principal method of excrement disposal in the district is by cesspit privy, and this type of closet is not confined to the purely country districts, but can be seen in large villages, as at Williton. In some of the villages and hamlets which have sewerage systems, though not every house is provided with a water closet, the number of water closets is not inconsiderable. There are many pail closets and the number is increasing in substitution for old cesspit privies. The responsibility of emptying these receptacles devolves on the occupiers of the houses, and as a rule there is ample garden space available for the disposal of the contents. The conditions pertain- ing at certain villages are specially dealt with later in this report. There is no public scavenging of refuse in any part of the district and the provision of suitable ashbins is not universally enforced. But as stated above the householders can generally dispose of the refuse on their land. Instances were observed where house refuse was allowed to accumulate near dwellings in objectionable fashion. The need of public scavenging is particularly noticeable at Porlock where certain houses have no gardens, and where the retention of house refuse in heaps in small back yards constitutes a nuisance which should not be tolerated. Divellings and their surroundings—The housing accommodation varies very considerably in the district, from old houses and cottages erected centuries ago, to modern dwellings built within the last few years. Of the old houses, the larger and the more substantially constructed have been kept in good repair, but many of the smaller houses and cottages are dilapidated and falling into ruin. The