[Report 1897] / Medical Officer of Health, Wetherby R.D.C.
- Wetherby (England). Rural District Council.
- Date:
- 1897
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1897] / Medical Officer of Health, Wetherby R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Kirk Deighton. Spofforth. Shadwell. i analysis, was proved to be very impure] and totally unfit for drinking purposes. The well was accordingly bored much deeper, and, reporting on a sample of water from the new bore submitted for examination, the analyst said, “ I am of opinion that this water should not be used for drink¬ ing purposes.” On receiving this report your Sanitary Committee decided to take active steps with regard to the insanitary conditions existing in the village. A surface water drain passing close to the well was taken up for a considerable distance on either side and relaid in sanitary pipes with cemented joints. With a view to preventing the entry of sewage into the. drain, the owners of property were requested to construct cesspools in which to receive the sewage, and to cover in their ashpits and privies, some of which were very objectionable. Some of the property owners refused to act and legal proceedings had to be taken. The majority of the notices have now been com¬ plied with. There is reason to believe that the quality of the water has since improved, but a further analysis should be made. Your Council, in February, resolved to have an analysis made of a sample of water from the public well at Kirk Deighton. This was done and the analyst reported, “ The very large proportions of nitrates, chlorides, and total dissolved solids, show this water to be quite unfit to use for drinking purposes.” On investigation it was found that a drain from a house close to the well was blocked and the sewage was entering the subsoil within a few yards of the well. This state of affairs was at once altered, the drainage of some neighbouring property improved, and the well itself cleaned out. The County Council wrote order¬ ing the well to be closed at once ; your Sanitary Committee visited the village and you entered into correspondence with the Parish Council. At Deighton Bar a sample of water was taken in October from a private well; this was also found to be unfit for drinking purposes, and the necessary notices were served upon the owner. Owing, however, to his death, no further proceedings have been taken. Mr. Clark submitted a house-to-house report of the sanitary condition of Kirk Deighton. In November you decided to carry out a new system of sewerage for Spofforth. An engineer was appointed and the scheme is at present in course of preparation. Some difficulty has arisen at Shadwell in respect to the drainage. Your Council was threatened with a prosecu-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30267778_0006.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
