Dr. J.R. Hutchinson's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Urban District of Oakengates (Shropshire).

  • Hutchinson, J. R. (James Randal)
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. J.R. Hutchinson's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Urban District of Oakengates (Shropshire). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    0 The majority of the houses are supplied hy standpipes situated in the yards or brewhouses; one pipe often serves several houses. There seems to be considerable reluctance on the part of tenants to having water laid on in the houses, and in some houses where this has been done there are no slopstones. The total weekly water consumption in houses and manufac- tories served by the public supply is approximately 1,500,000 gallons. It is estimated that nine gallons per head per day are used for domestic purposes. Sewerage and Sewage Disposal.—Under a loan sanctioned by the Board in July, 1903, a comprehensive sewerage scheme was begun and, so far as relates to two-thirds of the district, was completed in 1907. Prior to this date, the Furnace Lane brook afforded a natural outlet for the sewage of the eastern portion of the district, and into it two brick culverts opened. A culvert in Quabb Lane, Oakengates, served the needs of the western side, and an attempt to treat the sewage of this portion of the district was made by allowing it to flow into three settling tanks constructed in the bed of an old canal on the Lower Worn- bridge Farm. The effluent from the tanks was permitted to escape into the Wombridge Pool, thence into the Middle, and finally into the Trench Pool from which the Shropshire Iron Works obtains its water for manufacturing purposes and the Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company its canal compen- sation water. The Quabb Lane culvert was incorporated in the new sewerage scheme, and now by way of it the bulk of the sewage from Ketley Bank and Oakengates is carried to a point on the Lower Wom- bridge farm, from which the western main intercepting sewer runs practically due north to the outfall works. Owing to the arrangement of culverts and storm overflows, sewage has overflowed on to the pastures of the Lower Wombridge farm and claims for damages against the district council have been made and met. Further, in July 1911, an injunction was obtained against the council and £150 damages were awarded to the farmer. At the action certain terms were agreed upon and were made an order of the Court. This order directs inter alia that the sewers should be rearranged in such a way as to prevent any further flow of sewage or storm water on to the farm land, and that plans of works for this purpose be presented to the Board within nine months. I understand that it is the intention of the council to prepare a scheme providing for the exclusion of all storm water from the western sewer. At the action in July, 1911, evidence was given to show that the tanks into which the storm water ought to have run were so full of earth, &c., as to be unrecognisable as such, and this obtained also at the time of my visit. The fact that the storm overflows on this sewer come into operation too soon, has frequently been represented to the council in past years, notably by the Board after an enquiry by one of their engineering inspectors in 1907, and by Dr. Wheat] ey, the county medical officer of health, in a report to the county council in the same year.