Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the townships of Alnwick and Canongate, in the county of Northumberland / by Robert Rawlinson, Superintending Inspector.

Robert Rawlinson

Date:: 1850

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the townships of Alnwick and Canongate, in the county of Northumberland / by Robert Rawlinson, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$of 16° of hardness over one of 4° of hardness to be 4s. a-year to each person. In a family of five persons this would be 11. a-year to each house, or five times the amount of a proper and abundant supply, as given in Preston, Carlisle, and other towns. When the individual cost of a private supply of water is con- trasted with the paying charges made by some public companies, the economy and advantage of the one over the other will be very apparent. To sink a well, erect a pump, and maintain the appa- ratus in working order, will cost as under, varying slightly, of course, with circumstances :— £. s. d. Sinking well, say . . . . 1 0 0 Pump complete ..... , 3 0 0 First cost . £10 0 0 Interest on 10/. at 5/. per cent per annum . 0 10 0 Cost of annual, repairs to pump, say . 0 5 0 Labour of pumping water, and wear and breakage of utensils, say . . 0 15 0 Per annum .£1 10 0 Thus 17. ]0s. sterling will be either directly or indirectly in- curred for a water-supply, if obtained from pumps; in many instances the annual cost is much more than the sum named, as a deep well and pump will cost from 201.. to 50/. in some situa- tions, and the annual expenses vary from the above-named cost to 51. This mode of supply excludes every public advantage; and, if entirely relied upon, creates many nuisances. From the actual working experience of several towns where the whole water-supply is raised by steam-power, it has been ascertained that a full supply, at, constant high pressure, can be given to each cottage at prices varying from Id. to \^d. a-week, or at an annual charge not exceeding 6s., and may be 4s.—a cost several times less than the cheapest form of pump, as shown by the estimate. But apart from the cost, one of the most important advantages conferred by a well-regulated general supply is the superior quality and purity of the water. Few private wells sunk into a subsoil covered with dwelling-houses yield wholesome Water. When analysed by the chemist, it is found to be con- taminated. The transparency of a water is no test of its purity, as many which are sparkling and transparent contain both solid and gaseous impurities.$