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3. WATER SUPPLY. The water supply of the Borough
which is provided by the Colne Valley Water Co. (except for a small
area in the southern end of the district supplied by the Rickmans
worth and Uxbridge Valley Water Co.) remained satisfactory in
quality and quantity. The supply is pumped from deep wells ir.
the chalk outside the Borough boundaries. All of the samples taker,
from piped supplies were reported as satisfactory.
No tendency to plumbo solvent action has been detected.
All dwelling houses in the Borough are provided with a mains
water supply.
There is a number of private wells in the Borough all in connection
with industrial undertakings, but in no instance is the water
from these sources used for drinking.
Hardness of Water. The Health Committee have been
very concerned about the deleterious effects of hardness in the water
supplied to a large part of the Borough and in 1949 conferences were
held with the Water Company and visits paid to the Water Company's
Works in Watford, to discuss the problem and to ascertain by inspection
exactly to what extent the water was being treated prior to
distribution in the Company's mains. The Company at that time
recognised that they were unable to soften the supply as much as they
would like to do, although they pleaded that they were one of the few
water undertakings in the country who undertook any treatment of the
supply with the intention of reducing hardness. The Company
informed the Council that certain works were required in their Clay
Lane Pumping Station, Watford, and that when these improvements
were completed there would be a substantial reduction in the hardness
of the water supplied. The accompanying Table indicates that for the
first whole year, 1959 showed a substantial reduction in the degree of
hardness present in the water distributed to premises in the town.
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