History of the Huddersfield Water Supplies
By T. W. Woodhead

ANALYSIS AND BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF WATER

EXAMINATION OF WELLS AND CISTERNS

By the Huddersfield Improvement Act of 1880 the Corporation obtained powers to deal with the problem of pollution of wells and cisterns. In section 50 of this Act of the Corporation were empowered to test the water of wells and that if the Sanitary Inspector or the Medical Officer of Health had reasonable grounds to suspect water of any well, cistern, or pump as being unfit for domestic use, he was authorized to obtain supplies of such water between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, to be analysed by a competent analyst, and if found unfit, to order the well to be permanently or temporarily closed.

Under this Act closer supervision was exercised, Mr. George Jarmain was appointed Borough Analyst, and frequent samples were submitted for examination. As a result a number of wells, which in the past had yielded valuable supplies, were condemned and closed, including Bradley Spout, Northgate Wells, the Wells in St. Helen’s Gate, Almondbury, and many others. These, however, were rendered less essential owing to the provision of Corporation supplies. Nevertheless, there still remain a large number of houses in our District of Supply, which depend upon wells and cisterns for domestic use. The following cases will serve to illustrate pollution of these sources of supply:- Wells at Taylor Hill belonging to the Taylor Hill Waterworks Company ; a reservoir and wells at Milnsbridge ; and another at Lower Head Farm, Slaithwaite, though the latter is outside the County Borough, it is within the Huddersfield District of Water Supply.

TAYLOR HILL WATER WORKS

The wells at Bluebell Hill, as we have seen above, have provided a local supply of water for nearly a century, but recently they came under suspicion, and the Medical Officer, Dr. J.M. Gibson, had a number of samples taken from both wells between May and October, 1938, and from these, both chemical and bacteriological analyses were made. Chemical analyses were made by the Borough Analyst, Mr. H.T. Lee, in May, 1938, who reported as follows:-

Enclosed Well :- Judged by the water above Chemical results, the condition of the water is satisfactory. (N.B. The popular name "Hard Well" and "Soft Well" are not supported by these analyses)

Stone Trough :- No excessive pollution is indicated by the above results, at the same time I would not certify the water as satisfactory for drinking purposes unless the bacteriological results showed that the water satisfied the standards of the Ministry of Health.

Bacteriological Examinations made from 8 samples, with the following results:-
Enclosed Well :- Presumptive Bacillus coli ranged from 130 to 350, per 100 m.l.

Stone Trough :- Presumptive B. coli ranged from 175 to 1,800 + per 100 m.l.

The higher number occurring during the summer months.

As the limit allowed by the Ministry of Health must not exceed 10 B. coli per 100 millilitres, the waters of both wells were condemned as unfit for domestic use and at the Council Meeting, November 9th 1938, it was resolved “that said well and stone-ware trough be permanently closed” in accordance with the Huddersfield Improvement Act, 1880, Section 50.

Opposition was raised to the closing wells and a deputation of three members of the Taylor Hill Waterworks Committee had an interview with the Highways Committee on December 2nd, 1938, and it was arranged that the Company should have the wells cleaned out and properly sealed, and that when the work had been done, further tests of the water would be made, and that in the meantime the water was not to be used for drinking purposes.

© Copyright of Kirklees Museums and Galleries