The Herald of Wales. — 1887-07-02 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

WHAT IS SUPPLIED AS WATER.  EDITOR.  Thank goodness you have ventilated the subject of the water supply—weak coffee coloured and tadpoles. Perhaps, after spending some £400,000 for sueh a supply, it may be asked by the ratepay, rs generally, whether the best has been done for them. Every summer for the past 14 years large amounts have been paid to subsidise the dparian tenantry on the various streams' which have been used as feeders—and water has been scarce and impure, but since the pipes, laid some 25 years ago have been improved, the water, which had been fairly pure, has raised in quality between the colour of peasoup and oatmeal water, with a good percentage of earthy depo.it ; and the supply has been, for the centre of the town, at ridiculous hours. Water .is wanted not later than 7 a.m., but it is supplied about 10. Does the sanitary inspector know this t I there not great risk where the spaces are nearly built all over in each shop or warehouse? Is the remedy to be neglected until we have like last year an outbreak of fever. When it was clearly shown that a supply of water from a source which has never varied in the memory of man, equal to four times the requirements of Swansea, could be got from the Llwchwr, it was objected to because "the water was hard," and it would cost the inhabitants about £6,000 a year more in soap. This is absurd as to the amount. as the present storage is very soft water, and *e "mixture" would be fairly soft,sof ter than that avail able in moat townn. And I would like to know, on behalf of myself and my fellow-suffering, :over-rated townsmen, whether it is better for them to pay Is. per head more for soap and an abundant and pure supply of water, which is available from the Llwchwr, or to run the risk of being poisoned by the penned up (and consequently ever-increasing deposit at ths bottom of poisonous matter, and possibly fever generating) water from the reservoirs. If there are not enough storage places now to supply the town—there are four or live --how many will be required when the great and rapid increase in the population goes on, as may be reasonably expected, when the Rhondda Line is open? If the ratepayers will reflect a little they must see that more than half their heavy debt has been incurred to get a supply of pure water, and now there is not a sufficient supply, and would be very much less but for more than half coming from a coal pit blessed coal pit ! Now it was estimated that the abundant supply could have been got forl 540,000 —say £lOO,OOO, pure water, a trifle hard. sufßcient for half-a, million population; and in round numbers each of our present reservoirs has cost £lOO,OOO, to hold water that must, per force, become vsry impure year by year. Has it been even ordinary foresight to do what has been done at 80 great a cost, and will it be right to go on making such reservoirs? What is the trifle for extra wart, compared to the fearful incubus —the horrid legacy of debt that the present and coming generations are liable for? It is hi.:l time that the ratepayers looked into the matter for themselves—Yours truly, JAMES RICHARDS, Walter-road, Swansea.  At a meeting ofithe creditors of the late Thos. Lewis, boot and shoe maker, Yurthire, near Pontypridd. held tm Friday, the Offiaial Reoeivee, Mr. W. L. Danod, announced that :ince he bad taken peese&don the bankrupt had committed suicide. _  William Burchall was again brought up in cuatody before the Cardiff mauistratea, on Monday, charged with cutting and wounding hii wife. lb was formally committed for trial at the quarter