WATER SUPPLY. 859 



should be constructed common to all, and holding, say, at 

 the least three months' supply. 



In many cases we find that not only is the drainage of the 

 locality at fault, but that the water supply is in keeping 

 with it. Disease is probably propagated quite as much by 

 the consumption of impure water as by other unsanitary con- 

 ditions. The former follows upon the latter in natural 

 sequence. The once pure stream is surreptitiously converted 

 into a drain owing to gross carelessness or want of thought. 

 When heavy rains prevail, the decomposing matters on the 

 surface are washed off and gravitate into the main water 

 channel. In other cases they are carried and absorbed by 

 sub-soakage into wells. There is abundant evidence of these 

 facts. One of the finest streams of water in this colony, from 

 which an important township, possessing a large public 

 institution, derives its supply, is contaminated by the dis- 

 charge of drains from farm yards, dwelhngs, and cesspits 

 situated on its banks, and those at no very great distance 

 above the intake. 



In one town, comprising between sixty and seventy build- 

 ings, with over three hundred inhabitants, there are upwards 

 of twenty wells, the whole of which have been condemned as 

 containing impure drinking water. The rainfall is light, 

 averaging about twenty inches per annum. The well-water 

 can only be used for washing purposes, and even then the 

 brackish nature of it is an objection. This is probably owing 

 to the wells being sunk through recent marine beds, and it is 

 not considered likely that any better results would be obtained 

 in sinking deeper except at an unwarranted cost. The 

 rain-water tanks being totally inadequate the distress in dry 

 seasons is severely felt, and residents are put to much exjiense 

 in carting water from a river ; yet, in the face of this drawback, 

 there are some people perverse enough to obstruct any action 

 to obtain a better supply, thougli the average cost of such 

 per head of the population is estimated to be considerably 

 less than by the old-fashioned way of obtaining it. On the 

 other hand, however, it is gratifying to note that local enter- 

 prise is being aroused by a few energetic individuals for 

 obtaining a new supply by gravitation, advantage being 

 taken of modern and economic methods of bringing the water 

 by wrought iron piping into the town. 



All water used for drinking purposes should be perfectly 

 clear, bright, and without taste or smell. This is not always 

 obtainable, and cases are rare where such natural conditions 



