Japanese firm to supply South London's water (From Croydon Guardian)

prices up again

During the 1930's the population of Carshalton increased profoundly with the building of the St.Helier Estate, which place a burden on the water companies to increase their production of clean water supplies to maintain the relevant pressure, which at that time came from the Sutton and Cheam Water Company.

Section 17 of the Water Act, 1945, BYELAW'S were made by The Sutton District Water Company and Granted, by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government with their SEAL OF APPROVAL on the 24th. day of May 1955 and come into force on the 21st. June 1955, followed by additional BYELAW'S in April 1957 to operate from May 1957. These Byelaw's laid down certain rules and regulations for both the Water Company and their Customers with a basic Code of Practise.

From the end of the war in 1945 up until the beginning of the 1960's, Carshalton was supplied by streams flowing from Woodmansterne through Carshalton Beaches to the Carshalton Park well head and onto The Grove Park and Beddington Park, as well as flowing on to supply the Wandle river through to the Thames at Wandsworth.
During this period the Sutton District Water Company supplied the community of Sutton and Carshalton with their Clean water supply. During the late 1950's and early 1960's new bore holes were starting to be drilled which reduced the amount of water flowing into the Wandle, until the river bed from Carshalton Park into the Grove Park dried up and eventually left the Grove ponds a muddy pond as well as the old mill housing within, the old swimming pool, as far down to Hackbridge and the Goat on the Mitcham Boundary.
All the wild life within this area of natural beauty vanished along with destruction of waterside gardens with their ponds, reducing waterfall flow in to the well head to turn the water mill within the Grove Park. The Sutton Water Company agreed to supply water to keep the Grove Ponds supplied from their supply pipes when the Ponds were concreted to maintain a minimal level therein,but the Carshalton Park tributary along side Carshalton Place would no longer be supplied. The other tributary which came from Park Lane was blocked off, when the Westcroft Centre was built. The Stream which use to feed into the St. Philomena's Convent flowing East under the Lodge.

With the continued increase in population within the area of the newly formed London Borough of Sutton was born in 1965, for which more and more bore holes were drilled, to support the changing face of Sutton, Cheam,Carshalton, Hackbridge, Beddington and Wallington as housing and business premises were built on many of the open spaces I use to play therein, until what has been left became no go areas due to syringes, drugs and rubbish dumping grounds.
With the increase of population, housing and businesses, profits from water rates, housing rents and rates, and minimal costs and expenditure on maintenance, water companies, local and national governments profited leaving burst pipes to flow without repair or replacement.

Over the past 45 years bore holes have increased in depth within the area, reducing the water table level below ground to a problematic low level due to poor rainfall during these years, which brought in water restrictions for customers. The recent flooding during the past six months will take many more months to replenish the water table, as the surface flooding passed mostly in to the rivers and out to sea.
To replenish the water table the recent rain must penetrate the subsoil and filter through to the water table depth which can be many hundreds of feet below ground.
During the past thirty years Companies have been purchased by oversees investors, who have made huge profits at the customers expense with no rules or penalties imposed by Elected Members of Parliament or the quangos which were set up to OVERSEE misconduct.

Thanks for your interesting comments LL above. How many water bill payers even knew that S&ESW was owned by Aqueduct Capital or had even heard of AC. I want to see a rule change so that I can choose my water supplier and not have one foist upon me with no competition.

you need a grid for that--not planned but could be done