[Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset (England). County Council.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    36/122 (page 32)
    Tlie parishes of West Buck]and, Bradford and Nynehead are ill supplied with water ; many of the wells are poll id ed and unfit for drinking purposes. A scheme has been started and operations were in active progress in the early part of the year. Three springs have Ijeen opened u}) and having been concentred at one point have been found to yield a sufficieid quantity of water of a good quality. The work, however, has been temporarily held up and proceedings arrested, it having been discovered that the Taunton Town Council, under an old Act had the right of supplying these three parishes with water should they so desire. 1 believe now the Taunton Council have waived their right and proceedings will re-commence, I trust at an early date.” Wells Rural.—At Easton the public pump has been found to be contaminated also some of the local wells. The District Council have under consideration the provision of a fresh supply. Meare and Walton have not 3?^et obtained a water supply but Local Government Board inquiries have been held and negotiations for their supply from Street are being renewed. Williton.—At Timberscombe the District Council have taken over the control of the two existing water supplies from the Parish Council. The supplies were polluted but the District Council has cut off the polluted water and is replacing the old corroded mains by new ones of larger size. The yield of the spring has also been increased. At Bicknoller most of the existing wells have been found to be polluted and a scheme has been prepared by the Sanitary Surveyor to pipe in a supply from springs rising on Bicknoller Common. Wincanton.—The Castle Cary mains have been extended to Lovington. At Shepton Montague most of the existing wells have been examined and found to be contaminated. The provision of a proper supply is under consideration. In the Urban Districts alterations of supply have not been numerous. At Chard the new supply at Combe St. Nicholas is being proceeded with. At Street in the autumn the water supply was insufficient to meet requirements. For the purpose of a supplementary supply the Urban Council decided to bore on land owned by them in Rodney Stoke Parish. A bore-hole was sunk to the depth of 300 feet and for a period of a fortnight test pumping was carried out day and night, some 66,000 gallons of water being raised daily every 24 hours. This water upon analysis was found to be good and pure. This supply was at the end of October pumped direct into the main and so augmented the diminished supply, no further shortage occurring. At Weston-super-Mare the Medical Officer of Health draws attention in his Annual Report to the need of an additional water supply in view of the growing resident popu¬ lation and numerous visitors and to the fact that the more accurate measurement of the existing well shows that the yield is much less than was believed. The Local Authority has arranged to purchase Banwell Spring and a Bill to do this, purchase land with powers to sink a well and other water-powers was promoted early in 1914. RIVER POLLUTION AND SEWERAGE. No special developments took place during the year in regard to the prevention of river pollution. In a number of the districts sewage schemes were advanced or carried out.