HH62/2/STIRLI/45

Transcription

[Page] 44

The Bannockburn supply is the same as that for Stirling burgh,
and is upland surface water from uncultivated land. It is unfil-
tered. It is piped into a number of the houses, but the main
supply is by means of pillar wells, of which there are fourteen,
situated at convenient distances throughout the village.
The Cambusbarron supply is derived from Lessfeerie springs on
Polmaise estate, on the high ground about a mile from the village.
The water is collected in a small tank (of which the cubic capacity
is about 15,000 gallons) and is unfiltered. During last summer
there was great scarcity, owing to several causes - excessive drought,
the small capacity of the reservoir, and the piping of the water into
many houses during recent years, the original purpose having been
to supply only street wells, which are eight in number. A sub-
committee is at present considering a report by Messrs. McLuckie
and Walker regarding increased supply.*
The Denny supply is the same as that of the police burgh of
Denny. It is upland surface water from uncultivated (but
partly peaty) land. It is unfiltered. It is piped into some
of the houses, and pillar wells supply the others. In addition
there are in regular use a number of private wells and one well
on the public road. Some of these are said to be from springs,
and some consist apparently of subsoil water. The well on
the public road is obviously open to risk of pollution. Con-
siderable local discussion has taken place regarding the quality of
water supplied to the Special District, and separate analyses have
been made by Mr. Wilson, Stirling; the late Professor Dittmar;
and Mr. Tatlock, city analyst of Glasgow. Messrs. Wilson and
Tatlock think the water a very fair one, while Professor Dittmar
criticised it unfavourably. So far as I can judge there appears less
difference of opinion regarding the actual analyses than regarding
the interpretation to be put on the analyses. There is admittedly
a larger amount than is desirable of albuminoid ammonia. But
Mr. Wilson holds, as I believe rightly, that this is not of animal but
of vegetable origin - that it is in fact due to the peaty character
of the water. Accepting this as a fact, it undoubtedly gives a

* The committee has at present (April, 1892) under consideration an ap-
plication by the inhabitants of Muiralehouse, a small hamlet at the south-
east of Bannockburn, for an extension of the Stirling Water Supply to their
houses.

[Page] 45

much less serious complexion to the analyses. It is true
that peaty or other vegetable matter in a water is apt, if it
be in very notable quantity, to cause intestinal irritation and
diarrhoea. That of course is bad; and it would be desirable
that the water should be filtered if the valuation of the Special
District would permit of the necessary assessment. But it appears++++++
that the margin of rating allowed under the Public Health Acts
would not safely allow the new expenditure, so that it is not
proposed in the meantime to undertake the construction of filters.
But if, in fact, at any season of the year, the peaty matter tended
to show itself in excessive amount, it would probably be found
that a very simple domestic filter would make a great improvement.
If the water intended for drinking were put through a large flower
pot containing layers of fine sand and gravel, the necessities of the
case might be met, though the colour might not be entirely removed.
And in any event, those who use the supply may rest assured that
uncultivated ground at a distance from houses is a much safer
source of drinking water than the surface or subsoil of a populous
village. In the latter case there is constant risk of pollution by
the poison of specific disease of a dangerous character, and many
serious epidemics have had an origin of this kind.
The Causewayhead supply is derived from the Stirling burgh
water. The water is piped into the great majority of the houses,
and there is one pillar well on the public road.
The population outside of these four Special Districts is fully
11,000. The water supply is very various. Shallow wells
are the commonest source. To prevent misconception I may
explain that by a shallow well I mean one sunk into the subsoil
and not receiving its water from any deeper strata. The term
applies rather to the nature of the source than to the depth of the
hole in the ground.
In Buchlyvie the water supply is in the hands of a private
company. It consists of spring water and upland surface water,
is stored in a reservoir, and filtered. It is piped into most of the
houses, and in addition there are four pillar wells on the streets.
In Gargunnock the water is mostly from dip wells, but also from
the adjacent burn. The dip well from which a pipe is led to supply
the school-house is badly situated and liable to pollution.
In Kippen also a private company has charge of the water