Talk:Metropolitan Water Board (London)

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[edit] Area of the Board

The area described is much larger than that which the MWB served in the 1960s (it did not serve large parts of Middlesex), it appears to be that of the (much more recent) Thames Water Authority. Were the boundaries reduced between 1902 and privatisation? --MBRZ48 16:39, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

That may have been my misinterpretation of the schedules to the Act (which I found hard to understand). Thames Water had a much larger area out to Wiltshire. For the record, the urban districts and boroughs that contributed members (and presumably were within the limits of Supply) were:
  • Essex: Buckhurst Hill, Chingford, Leyton, Waltham Holy Cross, Wanstead, Woodford
  • Kent: Beckenham, Bromley, Erith, Penge, Bexley, Dartford, Chislehurst, Foots Cray
  • Middlesex: Ealing, Acton, Chiswick, Hampton Wick, Sunbury, Hampton, Hanwell, Brentford, Teddington, Twickenham, Heston & Isleworth, Edmonton, Enfield, Southgate, Hornsey, Wood Green, Tottenham
  • Surrey:Kingston, Wimbledon, Barnes, Surbiton, Esher & the Dittons, East and West Molesey, Maldens and Coombe, Ham
  • Hertfordshire: part of Cheshunt
  • The county boroughs of East Ham and West Ham
  • Croydon county borough was not in the MWB area.
...........
My suspicion is that the very big area might have been where the MWB was responsible for Drainage but not always for supply. The W/N/NW parts of Middlesex were supplied by private water companies (actually public trusts) from no later than the 1960s until they were flogged off by the Iron Maiden to the "big boys" of the water world. The drainage work had passed to the GLC but I don't recall whose vehicles lurked above the sewers in pre-GLC days. Unfortunately the current water companies' websites seem to be lacking historical information and I suspect an expedition to the London Metropolitan Archives (or the PRO?) might be needed to dig up the information.--MBRZ48 04:19, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

As far as Middlesex is concerned, the following urban districts existed in 1903, but were not included, which should give some idea of the boundary: Friern Barnet, Feltham, Finchley, Greenford, Harrow on the Hill, Hendon, Kingsbury, Southall-Norwood, Staines, Uxbridge, Wealdstone, Wembley, Willesden

Lozleader 17:36, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Whoops! I missed that bit. That does indeed hint that "modern" Middlesex was left out of the 1903 area, as it seems to match the territories of the Colne Valley Water Co. and the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Co. Possibly this was because their catchment area was in Herts and Bucks and too far from the Thames ?

--MBRZ48 04:31, 21 November 2006 (UTC)