London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Coulsdon and Purley 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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In addition, both the Water Companies and the Local
Authorities sharing these public supplies provided the Department
with copies of the reports on the samples taken by them.
No complaints were received during the year with regard to
the quality or quantity of water supplied by the Companies,
and no unsatisfactory reports were received on the samples taken
from the supplies to the District.
The Cane Hill Hospital Management Committee has made
arrangements with the Public Health Department of the London
County Council for routine sampling and supervision of the water
supply from the relatively shallow well in their grounds, which
is used exclusively by this Hospital. Adequate chlorination is
essential and steps have been taken to ensure this and to effect
closer co-operation between the officers of the three authorities
interested in the standard of this supply.
The results of two chemical and two bacteriological examinations
of the water in public supply are given below and these are
fairly typical of the reports received:—
Chemical Analysis.
| Sutton District Water Company. | East Surrey Water Company. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parts per 100,000. | Grains per Gallon. | Parts per 100,000. | Grains per Gallon. | |
| Total solids (dried at 180°C.) | 21.0 | 14.7 | 23.0 | 16.1 |
| Combined chlorine (CI) | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| equivalent to Sodium Chloride (Na CI). | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Nitric nitrogen (Nitrates) | 0.64 | 0.45 | 0.64 | 0.45 |
| Nitrous nitrogen (Nitrites) | minute trace | minute trace | ||
| Ammoniacal nitrogen | Nil | Nil | 0.0044 | 0.0031 |
| Albuminoid nitrogen | 0.0004 | 0.0003 | Nil | Nil |
| Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 27 °C. | Nil | Nil | 0.003 | 0.002 |
| Lead or Copper | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Temporary hardness equivalent | 9.0 | 6.3 | 8.0 | 5.6 |
| Permanent hardness | 3.0 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 2.1 |
| Total hardness CaC03 | 12.0 | 8.4 | 7.7 | |
Bacteriological Examination.
Probable number of coliform bacilli,
MacConkey 2 days, 37°C. 0 per 100 ml. 0 per 100 ml
There are no private wells in use in the District; all houses
are provided with a mains supply laid into the house, and there
are no standpipes for common use.
Forty-four samples were taken from the supplies of the two
Companies and examined for hardness by the Department, all of
which were satisfactory, in that adequate softening had been
carried out.
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