More Things to Consider when Buying a Home
Water-supply.—The source of the water-supply varies in different localities. Speaking generally, the best water is derived from deep springs, and the worst from shallow wells and ponds, both of which are liable to be contaminated.
In London and most large towns water is supplied by companies, who store the water of some available river or lake in reservoirs and filter it through beds of sand and gravel. The water is supplied on either the constant or the intermittent system. In the former case it comes directly from the main, and no cistern is needed for storage; this is the better plan, as the danger of contamination in the house is avoided. In the latter case storage must be provided, as the water is only " on " for a certain time every day. A serious objection to the intermittent system is that if from carelessness or accident the cistern is allowed to become empty, the house may bo left for some time without water.
Cisterns.—With regard to cisterns, three things are essential: (1) They should never be placed in a sleeping-room; (2) they should always be covered with closely-fitting lids; (3) they should be cleaned out from time to time. In some insanitary houses they are so placed that they can never be cleaned out. As water is a powerful absorbent of noxious gases, to place a cistern where these gases can reach the water is to invite disease. Professor De Cliaumont says: " Certain waters act very strongly on lead, rain-water particularly, soft waters generally, and waters containing nitric acid, which is always found in wells in the neighbourhood of cess-pools. It in an extremely dangerous poison, one-tenth of a grain in a gallon (or one part in 700,000) being enough to produce poisonouB symptoms. No tanks or cisterns ought to be of lead, or be soldered with it." The best material for cisterns is glazed stoneware or enamelled tire-cloy; slate is also a good material, but the joints are apt to leak. Galvanized-iron rns are often used, and are much better than lead, but are not very durable. The overflow-pipe should discharge into the open air, never into a drain.
Wells.—Water in wells is frequently rendered very impure by sewage matter from privies, leaky drains, and cess-pools, as shown in fig. 5. Diarrhrea, dysentery, and ague are often caused by impure water, while typhoid fever is especially a water-borne disease. If the water-supply, as is usual in country places, is derived from a well, it should be at least 100 feet from any cess-pool. Unfortunately, the two are sometimes found quite close together, so that during heavy rain the overflow from the cesspool pours into the well. Throughout the whole depth of a pervious surface stratum, such as sand or gravel, the well should be lined with a water-tight ring, which may be of concrete or brickwork, or of iron or glazed earthenware pipes. The top of the well should be raised above the ground and covered, in order to prevent surface water from flowing into it.
To test for lead, fill two white cups with the suspected water. Dip a glass rod into liquid sulphide of ammonium and stir it round in one of the cups. If the water does not change colour, as can be seen by comparing it with that in the other cup, it is free from lead. If, however, it becomes brownish, add a few drops of hydrochloric acid. When the colour is caused by iron, it will disappear. If it still remains, the water almost certainly contains lead. Presence of dangerous organic matter cannot be detected by any rough-and-ready method. Nothing but a thorough bacteriological examination by an export is satisfactory.
Boiling for at least ten minutes will usually render water safe. Ordinary filters in ignorant hands are worse than useless. A filter must be thoroughly cleaned and purified frequently, or it will itself become a breeding ground of minute living organisms (fig. 6). The best filters now known are of the Pasteur (Chamberland) and Berkefeld types.
All doubtful points about the water-supply should be decided before an offer is made for a house, as a landlord can hold a person to an offer made.
Comfort of Rooms.—The size of the rooms is an important point to consider in the choice of a house. If they are very large they are expensive to furnish and difficult to warm in winter, while, on the other hand, if they are very small they cannot easily be ventilated without draughtiness.