THEIR SWIMMING POOL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 62, 8 June 1942, Page 6

THEIR SWIMMING POOL

.Q. rTHEY CAN DRINK IT TOWN BY THE THAMES ANTICIPATES NAZIS Towns whose "water supply is threatened by enemy action have been given a novel lead 1 by the enterprising Thomas-side borough of Ertith in Kent. Erith has turned its swimming pool into a first rate emergency; water reservoir for more than 200,000 people. Normall3 r 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 sur-vey-of all available secondary su!pplics. They found 11 deep' wells, in the distri.ct. Eight were used for industrial purposes only, one for both drinking and industry, one for public bathing at the Council's swimming pool, and. four were, abandoned. Although the water from three of the deep w-ells Avas found to be suitable (Or drinking, and. could in any emergency be Avorked by National Fire Service ftumps, the most prolific source proved to be the swimming pool of 70,000 gallons. The well serving it yields 20,000 gallons of .ivatcr an hour, and a total of 17,000 gallons of chlorinated water an hour can iioav be served: from the three existing stand pumps. From this one source, therefore, 408,000 gallons of Avater can be had for drinking every 24 hours, with 70,000 gallons always in reserve.. Airlowing 2 gallons per head per day h'rith's , swimming pool would therefore serve a population of 20-1,000.