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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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the quality or quantity of water supplied by the Companies.
One unsatisfactory report on a bacteriological sample was attributed
to faulty sampling technique.
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 Million. | Grains per Gallon. | Parts per Million. | Grains per Gallon. | |
| Total solid matter (dried at 180°C.) | 178.0 | - | 122.0 | - |
| Chlorine present as chloride | 14.3 | — | 16.4 | - |
| Ammonia, free | 0.005 | - | 0.05 | - |
| Ammonia, albuminoid | 0.002 | - | 0.00 | - |
| Nitrate nitrogen | 53 | - | 5.9 | - |
| Nitrite nitrogen | trace | - | trace | - |
| Oxygen absorbed from permanganate solution in 4 hours at 27°C. | 0.11 | _ | 0.11 | - |
| Hardness — Temporary | 97.0 | - | 40.0 | - |
| Permanent | 30.0 | - | 37.0 | - |
| Total | 127.0 | 8-9 | 77.0 | 5.4 |
| Iron and other metals | absent | - | absent | - |
| Residual chlorine | absent | - | 0.07 | - |
| pH | 7.5 | 8.4 | ||
| Electric conductivity at 20°C. | 255 units | 165 units | ||
Bacteriological Examination.
Probable number of coliform bacilli,
Mac Conkey 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-eight 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.
RAINFALL.
The rainfall registered by the automatic rain gauge installed
at Alderstead Heath was 28.76 inches, this being a decrease of
36