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Bookwell to their residences. It was a very general remark 
amongst many of them, that “dinner was no sooner over, than 
they had to go and get the water for the tea.” With many poor 
people, the difficulty is in getting the tea for the water, but in this 
instance the water was the most essential element. To some 
extent this difficulty has been overcome. The Authority has 
provided a temporary supply from Howbank, through the kindness 
of Mr. Hartley. Some stand-pipes have been erected in the main 
street, and so far there has been a plentiful supply. It must, 
however, consist solely of surface drainage. And although the 
water is apparently of considerable purity, I am afraid that its 
subjection to the analyst would produce a considerable amount of 
vegetable matter. The source is from the hill-side immediately 
below Howbank, and the reservoir, or collecting ponds, are at the 
bottom of it. From thence the water is conveyed direct in iron 
pipes to the town. There are no filter beds provided, so that the 
water comes to the outlets in the same condition as it is found at 
its source. This supply has proved a great boon to the public for 
domestic purposes ; but I am afraid it has not been advantageous 
in a sanitary point of view, and I will show why. 
The main street of Egremont may be taken for granted to be 
about three-quarters of a mile in length: five stand-pipes have been 
erected in that distance, so that in round numbers the space 
between each may be put down at seven hundred and twenty 
yards. This is to all intents and purposes a prohibition of the use 
of water for sanitary purposes. It is not within the scope of 
human nature to carry water such a distance to wash down the 
back-yards and scour the gutters. In order to secure a supply for 
such a purpose, by means of which-the inhabitants can fully cleanse 
not only themselves, but also their surroundings, they must have 
the water brought on to the premises, so that by the simple turning 
of a tap, a proper flushing and scouring can at intervals remove 
the accumulated filth into its proper channel. For the present, 
the temporary supply is looked upon as a blessing. 
There is also a very defective mode of sewerage in existence 
here, many of the houses getting rid of their slop water by open 
