Page 297 - Reading Mercury

of Wokingham, in the County of Berks, complaining that the Vestry, as the Sewer
Authority, have made default in providing the District with proper Sewerage and
Water supply.

Local Government Act Office
st
21 February 1872
To the Right Honourable James Stansfeld M.P.
President of the Local Government Board
Sir,
st
I have the honour to report that a Petition (No. 5932) was received on the 1 of
December last from certain inhabitants, ratepayers and owners of property of the
Special Drainage District, comprising the Town and part of the Parish of Wokingham,
complaining that the Vestry, as the Sewer Authority, have made default in providing
the district with proper sewage and water supply; the danger arises to the health of the
inhabitants from the insufficiency and unwholesomeness of the existing supply of
water; and that a proper supply can be got at a reasonable cost. A copy of this Petition
was forwarded to the Sewer Authority for their observations upon it, and their reply
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accompanied by a letter from Mr. J. L. Roberts (No. 6295) was received on the 1
January 1872. The Vestry state, in this reply, that the supply of water is good, that
their town is one of the best drained and one of the healthiest in the kingdom; and that
they consider a very great injustice has been done to the town and parish at large by
those who made the complaint.
This reply was not deemed satisfactory and an Inquiry was ordered; this inquiry I
th
held at the Town Hall on the 16 January and by adjournment at the request of the
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Vestry, on the 30 January 1872. Mr. Soames appeared for the petitioners; neither Mr.
Roberts nor anyone else appeared to represent the Sewer Authority; but Mr. Frankum
represented the counter memorialists who signed the reply above referred to-
considered the reply of the Vestry. It appears that this Special Drainage District was
duly formed in 1866, and that the Vestry appointed a committee for one year, that the
committee met once, but there is no record of that meeting, and nothing has been done
by the Sewer Authority up to the present time. Mr Soames, who was a member of the
committee, apologised for this inactivity by saying that there is a complication of
authorities in the town which paralysed the action of the Sewer Authority. This is,
however, no sufficient excuse; the powers of the Sewer Authority are well defined
and ample.

SEWERAGE
The greater part of the existing town drainage was constructed about 30 years ago;
some of it before that date. These old drains have been taken up in some places and
relaid at a greater depth below the surface, and about two years ago, three of the main
outfalls were extended for the purpose of remedying the nuisance arising from sewage
stagnating in the open ditches; with these exceptions, nothing has been done to the
town drainage for 30 years.
The existing drains were constructed by, and are now under the control of, the
Highway Surveyors; they were intended to carry off surface water only, but they are
now used for a very different purpose; the contents of many water closets are
discharged into them, and they carry off much slop water and the overflow from
cesspools. It appears that the inclination of these drains is insufficient to prevent their
being choked up. These drains are unquestionably made to carry off surface water
only and they should have been used for this purpose alone. They now discharge

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