[Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Monmouthshire County Council.

  • Monmouthshire County Council
Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Monmouthshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    32/70 (page 28)
    2S 18 nevertheless very great, especially as many are small farms engaged in dairying. There is an overwhelming need of the extension of properly treated piped water supplies in the rural areas. There are still over G,U0U liouses, ijffecting a population of over 19,000 people in the rural areas of Monmouth- shire, which are dependant upon supplies from wells, springs, etc. It is a great boon when properly treated piped supplies are provided in an area, and this is only accomplished as a result of tremendous effort in the preparation of schemes, etc. Taking the County as a whole, however, the number of houses so supplied during a year is almost indistinguishable in the approximate figures issued for the County. At present rates of progress many years of intensive effort will be necessary before anj^ substantial differ- ence will be able to be observed in such figures. Accordingly it is not considered necessary to publish details more frequently than every few years. Generally, the piped supplies in the County have proved adequate, but the provision of new housing estates, with baths, sinks, W.C.’s, etc., is having the effect of increasing water consumption, and in some areas especially attention will have to be given to increasing storage accommodation to tide over drought periods. In those parts of rural areas which have no piped supplies, water shortage continues to give pictures comparable with mediaeval times. The quality of water supplied through public mains is also generally fcitisfactory, although constant vigilance is required, especially in those cases where gathering grounds are near to thickly populated industrial areas. The Water Board carry out periodic sampling of water, and Sanitarj'^ Inspectors in the areas of the Boards and elsewhere take check samples and investigate any evidences of contamination, especially of a manurial nature, to ensure that the supplies to the public are adequately protected. The supplies at Ebbw Vale, Nantyglo and Blaina, Rhymney (slightly), and that part of Tredegar served from Ebbw Vale, the Pwlldu area of the Abergavenny Rural District, one small scheme in the Chepstow Rural District, and a small supply at Narth in the Monmouth Rural District, are liable to plumbo solvent action and galvanised iron service pipes only are used in those areas. The pij>ed supplies in the Monmouth Rural District are untreated. Again, in the areas of no piped supplies, efforts need to be constantly redoubled during the summer months to ensure that w'hat little water is available for consumption is as little dangerous as possible. As piped water sup])lie8 are made available in the rural areas, the need for satisfactory arrangements for the disposal of sewage becomes a necessary corollary, and several schemes for jiroviding the requisite facilities are in