Lecture by W. Arnold Evans, Esq., M.D., medical officer of health for Bradford, on water supply : delivered in the Court House, Wakefield, on Saturday, April 30th, 1892, being the eighth of a series of twelve lectures on sanitary subjects ... [etc.].

  • Evans, W. Arnold.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lecture by W. Arnold Evans, Esq., M.D., medical officer of health for Bradford, on water supply : delivered in the Court House, Wakefield, on Saturday, April 30th, 1892, being the eighth of a series of twelve lectures on sanitary subjects ... [etc.]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    to one gallon daily. Taking all ages and sexes together, the smallest amount that may with safety be put down for drinking and cooking purposes is one gallon per head per diem. For the washing of household utensils and dishes, a certain amount of water is required, and this, though by no means a fixed quantity, cannot be less than that which is requisite for cooking, so that one gallon is perhaps a fair estimate. For cleansing the house and yard another two gallons would perhaps suffice, so that if the two last items be added together, as is usually the custom, three gallons may be allowed. Another three gallons would be wanted for the washing of clothes, and in most houses where the washing is done at home, probably more. In the matter of personal cleanliness it is also necessary to make an estimate ; and here much depends on the habits of the individual. In houses where general baths are taken daily, the consumption will be much greater than in those in which only sponge baths are used, or where a general bath is a somewhat rare occurrence. Assuming, however, that each person has a sponge bath every day, or a general bath once a week, about five gallons would be added to the daily con- sumption. It will thus be seen that for domestic purposes, leaving out of con- sideration such luxuries as baths, twelve gallons per head is the least amount, compatible with cleanliness, that should be allowed ; but if the washing is sent out, then nine gallons would suffice. An additional quantity must be provided for water closets in those places where a water carriage system of sewerage exists, and five gallons per head is the usual estimate. This amount may at first, sight appear to err on the side of extravagance, but on account of numerous leakages in connection with some closets and the repeated flushings necessary in many others, I think it is little enough. A margin on account of inevitable waste also enters into the calculation—leaking water mains, defective taps, and burst service pipes are matters of every-day occurrence, and three gallons per head are usually estimated by engineers as being due toSmavoidable waste. Municipal purposes also claim their share in the distribution of water, and the amount generally given is five gallons per head. I refer, ol course, to the watering of streets, extinguishing of fires, flushing of drains, &c. We thus see that the daily allowance of water per head of the population in non- manufacturing towns is about 25 gallons, but in districts where mills and factories abound, a further allowance of five gallons per head must be granted. The quantities may be tabulated :— Gallons. Domestic Supply 12 General Baths 5 Water Closets 5 Unavoidable Waste 3 Total House Supply 25 Municipal Purposes 5 Trades and Manufactures 5 35 For farmhouses, dairies, stables, mistals, and the keeping of cattle, I am un- able to give an estimate, but, suffice it to say, the supply should be unstinted and as much used as is necessary to keep premises and animals in a clean con- dition. The average supply to the various towns sometimes exceeds the amount above stated, and often falls below it. The quantities consumed in some of the largest towns are as follows :— Gallons per head daily. London 40 Manchester 21 Norwich 14.5 Bradford 24 Glasgow 50 Paris 44