gaged upon the night duty, and they report an average of 15 cases per night. By means of the stopcocks they are enabled to hear even a slight trickling of water from a pipe or tap at a considerable distance. One inspector and two laborers are fully employed in following up and tracing during the day the cases thus brought under notice. So far, the Night Inspectors have been confined entirely to the test districts. The following is an analysis of the reports received from them up to the 31st ultimo. The nature of the defects is given as ascertained by the subsequent day examinations:

In four of the districts where considerable waste from the street pipes was believed to take place, useful results have been obtained by night examinations of the sewers. When the ventilation and cleansing of the sewers has been completed, systematic and periodical examinations may be made, and there is no doubt such a course will lead to the discovery of a great deal of waste which now takes place unperceived.

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE INSPECTION.

Until recently two inspectors have been employed, with the occasional assistance of others, in house-to-house visits for the examination of fittings in these districts. Returns have been prepared which show the number and character of the various kinds of taps and fittings in every house. Where slight defects have been met with, the inspectors have themselves effected the necessary repairs, but where the defects have been of a more serious description the usual notices have been served on the persons responsible.

A source of waste deserving of special mention is an arrangement which is, unfortunately, very common in these districts, of flushing water-closets by means of a simple tap, and a pipe laid direct from the main or from a supply cistern; scarcely less objectional are cisterns containing only single valves. The taps or valves are frequently left open, and large volumes of water flow to waste. Although the tenants are usually careful to close the taps or valves when the inspectors are near, no fewer than 88 such taps have been found open. The course adopted has been to cut off the supply, and serve a notice upon the landlord or tenant to provide a double-valve cistern of aproved pattern.

The following Table is a summary of the defects discovered by the Waste- Water Inspectors, in each of the Districts, from the time of fixing the meires until the end of October:

In order to ascertain the consumption under various circumstances, special meters have been attached to houses.

of different classes, and the The following instances will proceeding:

results have been tabulated. illustrate the value of the

A meter was fixed at a house in Great Crosshall street, assessed at £25. The consumption was found to be at the rate of 46 gallons per head per day. An inspection of the fittings was made, and all appeared to be satisfactory, but a closer examination resulted in the discovery that the valve

of the water-closet cistern (one of the old form) was out of order, and that water was flowing almost noiselessly down the overflow pipe into the drain. The leak was stopped; a new cistern obtained, and the consumption reduced to 71⁄2 gallons per head per day.

In Johnson street, at a lodging-house assessed at £10, the consumption was found to be very variable, ranging from 70 to 7 gallons per head per day. This variation and excess were attributed to the fact that the water-closet was supplied from a common tap, although it was never found to be actually open. The landlord was requested to erect a proper cistern, did so, and the consumption at once became steady at a rate of about 12 gallons per head per day.

OFFICE SUPPLIES.

In connection with this subject reference may be made to metres recently attached to three blocks of offices, outside of the test district, viz., the Queen's Insurance Buildings, Walmer Buildings and Brown's Buildings.

The first readings of the meters showed that water was being used at the following rate : —

Queen's Insurance Buildings, about 80 gallons per head per day. Walmer Buildings, about 23 gallons per head per day. Brown's Buildings about 32 gallons per head per day.

The undue consumption appears to arise chiefly from the urinals and water-closets. On examination the fittings were found to be generally in good order, but of a very wasteful character.

The presence of the inspectors exercised a wholesome influence, and the consumption has been considerably reduced, but continues to be far more than it ought to be. The average extending over 41 days has been, In Queen's Insurance Building,

In Walmer Buildings,

In Brown's Buildings,

211 per head per day.

It must be remembered that most of the persons included in this calculation are only day tenants, and consume water at their residences in addition to what is used in their offices.

RESULTS OBTAINED IN TEST DISTRICTS.

Having given an outline of the measures adopted for the prevention of waste, it now remains to show their effect on the consumption of water. The following statement gives,

1st. The quantity used per head, per day, under the old intermitted system of eight to ten hours' daily supply.

2d. The quantity used when the districts were first placed on constant service.

3d. The present consumption with constant service.