[Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Cheltenham Borough.

  • Cheltenham (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Cheltenham Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/68 (page 15)
    Sanitary Circumstances of the District. Water Supply.—The water supply is copious, being from several sources including springs upon the Cotswolds, the upland surface waters of the River Chelt. a well in a deep sand bed, and the River Severn. The last mentioned source is used in the later summer months when required. There is a very adequate purification plant at Tewkesbury, where the water is taken from the river. Some additional purihcation system has been mooted for the Dowdeswell Reservoir water, on account of trouble from algal growth in the water. As an alternative to chlorination of this water to prevent the growth occuring in the pipes, the prefiltration of the water has been recommended by the Water Engineer like that carried out at Tewkesbury in the case of the Severn water. Rivers and Streams.—The brooks which pass through and about the borders of Cheltenham are at the present time not a source of nuisance to the town. Even the Chelt which passes through its centre does not exhibit any prejudicial signs of pollution. In storm times it is charged with a certain proportion of the diluted waste waters below the town, as it is bound to be, though this occasional call is not detrimental and leads to no complaint. Sewerage and Drainage.—The site of the town presents no difficult problem as regards the removal of sewage. There is now extensive plant for purifying sewage, and sewage farms for part treatment, and the complaints formerly received appear to have come to an end, and there seems no need for present further expenditure of money on this behalf. The actual condition of the sewers in the town has considerbly amended modernly, those of the North and West Wards, and those of the Tivoli district, having been to a great extent renewed, the old brick culverts being substituted by good pipe sewers, or built main sewers of lasting and perfect construction. Another district has been surveyed and reported upon for similar treatment, whilst further amendment work has proceeded continuously in every part whenever a gross defect has presented itself, a sum being inserted in the estimates of each hnancial year for such renewal and requireirients. Great attention has been paid to individual house drains, and within the last 25 years thousands have been re-laid as the result of notices served on owners after examination of the drains under Section 41, of Public Health Act, 1875. The Sanitary Certificate of the Corpora- tion, which may be applied for by any owner, tenant, or prospective tenant, has led to much further work in this connection, and in re-sewering the districts mentioned above a wholesale re-laying of house-drains to connect to the new sewers was required and carried out. The total result is that generally speaking the house drainage is for the greater part now satisfactory, though since the passage of time leads to the development of new defects, the efforts to maintain and amend hous>e drains must be unending. Excepting a few houses situated in the most remote outskirts, the sanitary system of the town is entirely one of water closets, with adequate