THEY CAN DRINK

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15075, 22 June 1942, Page 4

THEY CAN DRINK

FROM THEIR SWIMMING POOL. Towns whose water supply is threatened by enemy action have been given a novel lead by the enterprising Thames-side borough of Erith in Kent. Erith has turned its swimming pool into a first rate emergency water reservoir for more than 200,000 people. Normally the borough draws its water from the vast network of London’s Metropolitan Water Board, but recently the local authority thought it prudent to make a survey of all available secondary supplies. They found 14 deep wells in the district. Eight were used for industrial purposes only, one for both drinking and industry, one lor public bathing at the Council’s swimming pool, and four were abandoned. Although the water from three of the deep wells was found to be suitable for drinking, and could in any emergency be worked by National p'ire Service pumps, the most prolific source proved to be the swimming pool of 70,000 gallons. The well serving it yields 20,000 gallons of water an hour, and a total of 17,000 gallons of chlorinated water an hour can now be served from the three existing stand pumps. From this one source, therefore. 408,000 gallons qf water can be had for drinking every 24 hours, with 70,000 gallons always in reserve. Allowing 2 gallons per head per day Erith’s swimming pool would therefore serve a population of 204,000.