South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 15 March 1952
Complaint By Miners
The taste of drinking water in Denaby may cost the country thousands of tons of coal if it is not improved. For if it continues to be as unpleasant as its miners working at Denaby and Cadeby Collieries may refuse to work.
The water for Denaby is supplied by the collieries, and is also used in the collieries. When working underground miners like to drink five pints a day, and find it necessary for their work. With the taste as it is, however, they can only drink one pint, and as a result they find that they have not the energy to work.
This was explained to Conisbrough Urban Council on Monday by Coun. J. Prendergast, himself a coalface worker. He was backing up a complaint by Coun. J. T. E. Collins about the taste of the drinking water in Denaby-Conisbrough, which comes from a different source.
Mr. Collins said he thought drinking water should be tasteless, but “this must taste awful.” Complaints about it were increasing every day, he said, and he understood it had a very nasty taste.
The taste is due to chlorination of the water to purify it, the “South Yorkshire Times” understands. The matter is being gone into by the N.C.B. and the engineer responsible for the purification plant.