London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1909
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health 1909
This page requires JavaScript
TABLE C.— Percentage of First Class Filtered Waters.
| Source of Water. | Number of Samples. | Per cent. First Class. |
|---|---|---|
| Kempton Park | 353 | 87 |
| Chelsea | 450 | 86 |
| Grand Junction | 858 | 83 |
| West Middlesex | 832 | 74 |
| East London | 144 | 56 |
In the above table water is reckoned to be " first-class " if on examination it proves to contain
no typical colon bacilli in 100 c.c. By this test the Chelsea filtered water compares favourably
with the best water examined during the year. The West Middlesex supply is capable of
improvement, but shows results which are markedly superior to the unsatisfactory analyses of the
East London water.
| Source of Water. | Albumenoid Nitrogen. Parts per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| New River | ·0031 |
| Grand Junction | ·0058 |
| Chelsea | ·0062 |
| West Middlesex | ·0066 |
| Kempton Park | ·0070 |
The Kensington supplies maintain a mean position on the list, the West Middlesex water, as
judged by the chemical test, being the least satisfactory. Speaking of the London supply as a
whole, Dr. Houston says, " Having regard to the bad quality of the raw waters, the average quality
of the water as delivered to consumers during the year was not unsatisfactory." So far as
Kensington is concerned, the results set forth in the tables show that both the raw waters from
which the supply is drawn and the filtered water furnished to consumers compare favourably with
the water supplied to certain other districts in London.
Water Supply to New Houses.— During the year 41 newly erected houses were inspected and
certified before occupation under section 48 (2) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as having
a proper and sufficient supplv of water.