Drainage and Water Supply

The Commissioners were concerned only with surface drainage. There was no public sewage disposal scheme, cesspools and open drains were contaminating wells in sand and gravel. The first public sewers were laid in 1845, down the slopes on both sides of the Rea, big enough to serve domestic drains and flood water. The floods of 1846, though equal to those of '45 caused less damage. In 1849 the first Public Health Officer of the Borough reported on the state of the town. There were 2,000 courts housing 50,000 people, without drains, cesspools, or piped water. Many wells were grossly polluted. No refuse or sewage disposal, local streams unusable, natural rainfall of 26 inches p.a. insufficient to cleanse the streets or replenish the depleted water table, 500 works burning 377 tons of coal daily. Site no longer healthy, epidemic disease rife. Rawlinson recommended that the Council become the Public Health authority for the whole borough with wide powers, water from the Lickeys, public parks and baths, new roads through slums.

He commended allotments (350 'Guinea Gardens' then on Calthorpe Estate alone), and forecast the need for a green belt between Birmingham and its neighbour villages as they grew. His report was a major factor in obtaining full representative self-government for Birmingham. In 1852 the Council took over all the powers and property of the Streets Commissioners, and was able to begin the enormous tasks of cleaning and draining the borough.

Untreated sewage was draining naturally or by sewer into Rea and Tame, and this continued until the late '50s when the first sewage farm was established at Nechells. After 1865 more farms were made along the Tame flood-meadows between Saltley and Curdworth. The problem was always ahead of the solution. A regional Board to take over from several conflicting authorities was proposed, and the Birmingham, Tame and Rea District Drainage Board was set up in 1877. It included the Borough, Handsworth, Aston, Balsall Heath, those parts of Kings Norton and Northfield which were in the Rea drainage area, Harborne with Smethwick, and Perry Barr. Yardley and Solihull had a separate scheme with works at Cole Hall, but later joined the larger Board. In 1898 the accidental discovery of the bacterial filtration method removed the need for sewage farms: beds were built at Nechells and later at Minworth.

39.1. Map 26a

A Waterworks Company had been set up in 1826, providing a carted supply from two wells. A piped supply from the Tame, Salford Reservoir 1831, was gradually extended. A small storage reservoir was built near Telford's at Ladywood. By 1853 there was available a constant piped supply to Edgbaston, Duddeston, and Aston. Tame tributaries were used at Perry Barr and Witton. Plants Brook was employed from 1866. By 1870, the Bourne had been tapped, there were deep wells at Perry, Witton, Oscott, Harborne, Edgbaston, and Selly Oak.

The reservoir at Shustoke had been started. In 1876 the Borough Council bought out the Waterworks Co. As piped water was made available, 3,000 polluted wells were closed. Later flush-closets were provided, but only slowly. The 1879 Act permitted the completion of reservoirs and filter beds on Plants Brook. The 420,000,000 gallon reservoir was opened at Shustoke, and the conduit to take Bourne water to Whitacre filter beds. When all the local works were complete, there were 14 reservoirs, with a total capacity of 629,500,000 gallons. No more sources of local supply remained.