Wigton Rural Sanitary Authority.

The usual monthly meeting of this Authority was held on Tuesday afternoon at the Board-room, Queen’s Head Hotel, Wigton. Mr W DONALD presided.

The Water Supply at Fletchertown.

The Clerk read the following letter: -

Brigham Hill, Carlisle

5^th June 1862

Dear Sir, - In reply to your letter I regret to say that the supply of water to Fletchertown, is not as good as it ought to be. About half the houses are the property of the Allerdale Coal Company (represented by me), and most of the others are leased by the company. Five wells have been sunk by the company at a cost of £120. Two of these have been dried, and the other three have been fitted with pumps, and yield a fair quantity of water, but of indifferent quality. The other house-owners have sunk four wells, which, I understand, yield similar water. The company pay a way-leave to give access to Crummock for all the tenants. I mention these facts to show that the house-owners have spared no expense to obtain a sufficient supply of water. – Yours faithfully, W FLETCHER.

Robert BENSON, Esq.

PS. – If you have bye-laws I would thank you for a copy.

Mr CROSTHWAITE (nuisance inspector) said unfortunately the Authority had no bye-laws, otherwise property at Fletchertown could not have been built unless they had previously shown the water supply on the plans; and the same thing would be continually occurring in the western portion of the Union. They were building houses wherever they had men to accommodate in connection with the works, and as soon as the houses were tenanted complaints cropped up. – The Rev H WHITMORE: Mr Fletcher doesn’t propose to do anything to remedy the water supply? -–The Clerk: No. – The Rev H Whitmore: The complaint came to us after the owners had done all that Mr Fletcher’s letter states had been done. – Mr Crosthwaite: When I found fever at the place, that made me report on the deficient water supply. – The Clerk: I am afraid it will devolve upon the Authority to find water. – The Rev H Whitmore: Set up an electrical machine to bring it down from the clouds. – The Chairman: There is water, but it is not sufficiently good. How far would we have to take it from Crummock? Mr Crosthwaite: It runs down on the low side of the houses, perhaps about a quarter of a mile. – The Chairman: Do some of the pits pump into it? – Mr Crosthwaite: No, their water goes the other way, but a part of Fletchertown is drained, and the water runs down an open ditch in a field, and into Crummock. - The Chairman: And do the people get their water above where the drain empties into Crummock? – Mr Crosthwaite: They get their water below where the trench empties. – The Chairman: What does the Act say about the water supply? The Clerk: I am afraid we shall have to do it and charge the tenants. – The Rev H Whitmore: Are we bound to do it, whatever distance we have to go for water? – The Clerk: You will be bound to get it, if possible; but, first of all, the inspector must make a report. It is necessary to lay before the Authority some scheme which he thinks is feasible. – Mr THOMPSON: Let it work on as long as it can. – Mr Boustead: Not if it is injurious to health. - The Rev H Whitmore: Has there been any special illness there? – Mr Crosthwaite: There was fever there a short time ago, and in other parts too. - The Rev H Whitmore: nothing that you would term unusual. – Mr Crosthwaite: No, it has been generally healthy. – The Rev H Whitmore: I should feel inclined to let it alone.

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Maryport Advertiser and Weekly News June 23 1882

Wigton Rural Sanitary Authority.

The Nuisance Inspector’s Report

The Chairman read the nuisance inspector’s report, which was as follows: -

The work at Aspatria ordered by the Authority has been done, and the lodging-house kept by Peter ROGAN, has been registered. The privies at Thursby have not been built where notices had been served on William SMITH and Mrs LAWSON. It is evident they don’t intend to comply as they have had three notices from me requesting them to do what has been recommended by the medical officer. I have been at Port Carlisle with the doctor, and we inspected the property about which the complaint was mad last moth. There is a drain from the pump which had been repaired, and a proper gully trap made for the water; but in the ashpit there seemed to be a good deal of sewerage water standing, which in hot weather will be likely to throw off a very disagreeable smell.

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Maryport Advertiser and Weekly News June 23 1882

Wigton Rural Sanitary Authority.

The Insanitary State of Thursby.

A letter was read from the Local Government Board stating that they had had under their consideration the annual report for 1881 of the medical officer of health for the Wigton Rural Sanitary Authority, adverting to the insanitary state of Thursby, and the steps taken for improving that village. It was also pointed out in the letter that under the Public Heath Act it was the duty of the Sanitary Authority to take the necessary steps for insuring the proper drainage of their district, as the ratepayers had no power to undertake such works in place of the Sanitary Authority. The Board would be glad to be informed of the action the Authority had decided to take in regard to the sewerage of Thursby. - The Rev H Whitmore: Why cannot we ask the Thursby people to carry out the plans? Let us have the plans and let the work be done nominally by us and really by them. – The Chairman: I approve of your scheme. – Mr Boustead: It would by the cheapest. - The Rev H Whitmore: I am afraid the Local Government Board sometimes compel Sanitary Authorities to make nuisances. – Mr Crosthwaite: No doubt about it. – The clerk was instructed to write to the Local Government Board and inform them that the cause of complaint at Thursby had been partially removed, as the drainage had been improved, and to pint out that tin the event of the village being sewered there would not be a sufficient quantity of water to flush the sewers, and consequently the nuisance would be increased instead of being abated.

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Maryport Advertiser and Weekly News June 23 1882

Wigton Rural Sanitary Authority.

The Ireby Water Supply.

The Clark read another letter from the Local Government Board approving of the re-appointment of Dr MURPHY as medical officer of health, and enclosing the draft of an agreement proposed to be entered into between the Authority and Mr RAILTON, of Snittlegarth, in reference to the water supply of Ireby, adding that the Board saw no objection to the terms agreed upon.