In was rumoured in 1914 that the water supply from Calstone reservoir was poisoned. 'Suspicious' individuals were seen at the reservoir, which supplied the town of Calne with clean water, leading to the area being guarded day and night.
Was the reservoir poisoned? A trick gone wrong? A hoax?
Read on to discover more...
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| Calstone Reservoir |
If the reservoir supplying the town of Calne had been poisoned, it could have been disastrous for the c. 3,600 residents that had relied on this single supply for all of their water needs since 1882.
Between the 1870s - 1880s, water supply and sanitation in Calne was known to be poor. In nearby Highway, the Calne rural sanitary authority's inspector visited a case of Typhoid and cautioned the residents from using their wells, which was contaminated by sewage.
A report entitled "Dr. Blaxall's Report to the Local Government Board upon the Sanitary Condition of Calne in connexion (sic) with an Outbreak of Diphtheria and Typhoid Fever in that Town" reported on the water supply and sanitation of Calne. The report, written by George Buchanan in 1884 as an update to his previous 1874 report, stated that in the interim period that some 'good work' had been done, little or nothing had been done in other matters, with cesspit privies still in general use.
Even the water closets that did empty into the sewers (built around 1881) weren't supplied with water for flushing meaning that the waste lodged in the drains - certainly not a Calne we'd imagine living in today.
Where Buchanan was pleased was the water supply where he states: "Here a great improvement has been effected". At this point the town no longer had to rely on local wells, such as Chaveywell due to the reservoir that has been built two years earlier in 1882.
Where Buchanan was pleased was the water supply where he states: "Here a great improvement has been effected". At this point the town no longer had to rely on local wells, such as Chaveywell due to the reservoir that has been built two years earlier in 1882.
The reservoir was built in Calstone Wellington near the source of the Marden, the river that flows north west up into Calne, flowing westerly to meet the Avon on the east of Chippenham.
At Calstone Wellington there are many springs and it provided "a plentiful supply of good water".
However, in 1884 when Buchanan wrote his report, only 100 houses of approximately 732 houses were supplied from the new source, which was supplied via gravity and iron pipes. Even though there was a plentiful water supply from Calstone, the rest of the houses were still using local wells that were subject to pollution, in Buchanan's view, "a circumstance of the highest sanitary importance".
Over time, as trust in the reservoir swelled, all houses were moved to the Calstone supply and sewer construction was completed.
Over time, as trust in the reservoir swelled, all houses were moved to the Calstone supply and sewer construction was completed.
Wells and local springs lost their importance and Chaveywell, the only spring to remain pure throughout, is the only spring in the area to carry a name.
However, with water supply coming from one large source, there was potential for a lot of damage to be done to residents using the supply with one act of terror.
The Gazette and Herald, in their "From the Files" articles reprinted such a story of potential terror from 1914.
Due to two suspicious individuals were seen loitering in the vicinity of the reservoir, rumours spread that their intention was to poison the water supply.
What 'suspicious' means in this context was never revealed. Neither was the reason why these individuals were not approached.
It is understandable that after decades of endemics from impure water, that local people, particularly the older generation remembering the illness and losses of family members from typhoid and diphtheria, would be triggered by any gossip of a poisoned water supply. So serious was even the rumour of interreference with the water supply that Calne Water Company arranged for the reservoir to be under 24 hour guard.
However, with no reports of poisoning in the area, we can be assured that this was a misunderstanding with no malicious intent.
Move on a hundred years and Calstone is a risk site for Cryptosporidium, a horrid parasite that can result in diarrhoea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. With 42 positive detections found between the June and November of 2013, the supply from Calstone has been mothballed. That plentiful supply of good water is found to be bad - unless you like to fish for brown and rainbow trout, that is.
