Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
Water Board - Introduction
ACC. 245
Ref: A/SWA Deposited in the Cardiganshire Record Office
by the Welsh Water Authority, Area Office,
Aberaeron.
17 January 1980 Introduction
Administrative history
Arrangement of records
Aberaeron RDC 1
Aberystwyth RDC 1
Aberystwyth Borough 5
Aberystwyth Rural Sanitary
Authority 7
Lampeter RDC 7
Llandyssul/Teifiside RDC 7
Newcastle Emlyn RDC 9
Tregaron RDC 9
South Cardiganshire and Cardiganshire Water Boards
Clerk's/Treasurer's Departments 10
Engineer's Department 30
Welsh Water Authority / National Development Agency 50
Introduction.
Administrative History:
From the later nineteenth century down to 1957 (1962 in
the case of Aberystwyth Borough and R.D.C.) responsibility
for water provision in Cardiganshire, as elsewhere, lay in the
hands of borough and rural district councils or sanitary
authorities.
The South Cardiganshire Water Board was constituted by an
Order of 12, March 1956 made by the Minister of Housing and Local
Government, in exercise of his powers under section 9 of the
Water Act 1945, and came into operation on 29 March of the same
year. The day of transfer of the constituent authorities to the
board was 1 April 1957.
The Cardiganshire Water Board was constituted by an Order
(No. 270) made on 9 January 1962 by the Minister, as above. The
Order came into operation on 14 February 1962; the appointed
day of transfer was 1 April 1962 but the actual hand-over took
place on 1 October 1962. The water functions of seven constitutent
authorities were transferred together with those of Aberystwyth
Borough and R.D.C.
In 1974 the Welsh Water Authority took over the Cardiganshire
Water Board.
Arrangement of Records:
The major problem with the pre-Water Boards material is that
more than one file reference exists. This doubtless reflects
efforts to bring files from diverse sources into one system, following
the creation of the South Cardiganshire or Cardiganshire Water Board.
For authorities other than water boards the arrangement adopted is
alphabetical, by authority, and chronological within these authorities.
With so much of the original provenance lost and the addition of later
references an accurate reconstruction of the original filing system
would have posed insoluble problems. As far as the South Cardiganshire
and Cardiganshire Water Boards are concerned the two main divisions
are those of the Clerk/Treasurer and Engineer's departments. An
attempt has been made within these broad categories to retrieve large
tracts of the filing system (which is often quite possible). The
order on the whole, however, remains problematic. In every case
where there is more than one file reference all are given in the
apparent order of their allocation. The word 'Contract' has been
standardised throughout to (C). The files themselves consist largely
of correspondence and working papers, often with plans. A brief
indication of subject matter is given only when there is no title
or that title is not sufficiently explanatory.
For related material in the Cardiganshire Record Office see
A/SWA/1/1-3 and SRD/2/167.