354 



Water Supply for Villages. [august, 



on buildings and 3d. in the £1 on land. The parish is a fairly 

 large one, having an area of 2,720 acres, a population of 617, 

 and an assessable value to special sanitary rate of £2,560. 

 Dairy farming is almost universal, and the need for water 

 general, so that every farm in the parish has been supplied on 

 the stated basis, except that £4 per half-year was for special 

 reasons fixed as the highest limit of minimum charge. The 

 total cost of the scheme was £4,200, and it should be noted 

 that an additional £1,000 would have reached the limit of 

 borrowing power, as laid down by the Public Health Act, 1875. 



The assessable value of a parish then may be taken as the 

 proper basis on which to calculate expenditure, and no limit 

 of cost other than that laid down by the Act is in favourable 

 circumstances necessary ; as a general rule a minimum charge 

 equal to a yearly special rate of 2s. in the £1 will not be found 

 prohibitive (in the case of Emborough without meters, already 

 cited, a charge of 4s. in the £1 is made). Where the con- 

 sumption of water is general the charge thus made will obviate- 

 any appreciable charge on the general rates of the parish to 

 cover a deficiency of revenue. 



Consumption of Water under the Meter System. — It is not 

 to be supposed that the consumption of water by dairy 

 farms under the meter system will approach the 20 gallons 

 per cow mentioned above as a possible consumption. 

 Existing sources of supply are under this system made use 

 of, and experience shows that water is little used, either for cattle 

 drinking or refrigerating purposes, where its use is thus controlled. 

 Three to four gallons per head of stock is as much as is generally 

 consumed. It may well be that sanitary considerations 

 are sometimes sacrificed to economy of water under this system, 

 and that a more rigid inspection of existing supplies would lead 

 to increased consumption. Where the supply is ample and 

 the main cost of the scheme is secured by minimum charges, 

 as outlined above, there is no reason why the above meter 

 scale should not be much reduced with a view to encouraging 

 an increase of consumption. It is found that where the 

 meter system is not in use 10 to 15 gallons per head of stock is 

 no unusual quantity to be consumed and this is often exceeded. 



No mention has been made of private dwelling houses of a 

 class superior to cottages ; but, generally speaking, a rate may 



