[From Atholl Papers - AP 138(2nd) 17]

Report by John Taggart on the cost of supplying Douglas with water 1824

Conformable to your Grace's commands I have the honor of submitting a report of the Extent, population, & present annual expence of supplying the Town of Douglas with water by means of Carts &c; also an Estimate of the probable expence of supplying the Town with Water by means of Cast Iron pipes &c laid along the Street.

The Town contains about 800 inhabited houses occupied by about 1200 families, rather more than 6000 Inhabitants but some parts of the Town have wells and pumps belonging to the Houses, & some of the poorer classes supply themselves with water from the neighbouring Springs. The number of these classes, including the Houses which have Wells & pumps are supposed to amount to 1,000 Inhabitants and occupying about 140 Houses, the remaining 5,000 Inhabitants which occupy 660 Houses are supplied by 6 Water Carts, and carry on an average 12,600 Gallons of Water @ Day, and cost about £936 @ annum, being an average of £1 8 4.5d @ house independent of what Rain Water is saved by Casks &c.

Having carefully examined every spring & source, within a mile of the Town, likely to form a Reservoir, the first under notice is a Spring situate about 100 yards to the southward of Fort Anne, but this Spring will require 2 or 3 other springs brought to it for a sufficient supply - the second is a spring in Castle Mona Grounds, situate about 200 yards to the east of the public road leading from Castle Mona Lodge towards the North and about 600 yards up the said road from the Lodge; - from the situation and extent of this Spring, a plentiful supply of water can always be collected for the Reservoir, and at a much less expence than that near Fort Anne: - besides it is 30 feet higher, and it can be brought nearly on a straight line, from the Reservoir along the East side of the public road, passing by Messrs Harrisons' and Bucks' Houses to Atholll Street, and into all parts of the Town, without the pipes going thro' any other Land than that belonging to your Grace; and as the Town is likely to extend Northwards on each side of the beforementioned Road, and the Main pipe of the Water Works passing along the sd Road, the purchasers of building plot, in this situation will avail themselves of the Water, & consequently increase the number of the Tenantry.

It may be necessary also to mention that there are two Streams to the North of Castle Mona, but both of which are too low to form a reservoir, to supply the upper part of the Town, should it extend any further northwards of Atholl Street.

Having calculated the expense of completing the Reservoir, ascertained the lowest price of cast iron pipes of from 2 to 5 Inches Diamr, together with the prices of Cocks, Branches &c suitable for the same accurately measured the length of the different kind of pipes wanted, also the freight of the same from Liverpool, carriage of the same to the place of destination, cutting trenches to receive them, laying & joining them, including cement, Oakum? &c, filling up the Trenches after the pipes are laid, & making good the paveing of the Street over the same, it enables me to lay before your Grace, the following general Estimate of the expence of completing the proposed new Water Works.

I feel confident that the whole can be executed in the best manner, & to come within the above Estimate (as the most liberal price has been allowed for each description of work) & if carried into effect will pay a clear profit of 15 to 20 p cent @ annum.

Douglas Feb 12th 1824

Signed John Taggart

AP 138(2nd) 19 - Details of water-carts.

There are five Water Carts that Ply on the Streets of Douglas daily. Each Cart contains about 26 measures sold at One half penny Manx per measure - They go on an average 10 times each to the Springs for Water every day Counting Sundays, for on Saturday they work double Tides - The Amount therefore paid for Water in Douglas according to the above calculation is about £897 15/- per annum.