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45
temperature of the deep well water of the Kent Company, unaffected
by the season, had a range of only 5°, viz., from 50°.9 in
December, to 55°.9 in May.
The solid impurities in the river water—some of which are organic,
very largely of animal origin, highly objectionable, and
at times eminently noxious, whilst others are entirely or comparatively
harmless, which had progressively increased during the
years 1871-2-3, and diminished in 1874,—underwent a considerable
increase in 1875, the maximum being observed in December, and
the minimum in July; whilst in the deep well water of the Kent
Company, which is taken as the standard of purity for the sake of
comparison, the amount was the same as in 1874, a large amount,
but of a harmless character.
It is remarked that notwithstanding the application of partial
remedies for sewage pollution at Banbury, Eton, and Windsor,
and the greater care exercised by most of the companies in the
storage and filtration of the water, the organic pollution contained
in the Thames water delivered in London does not diminish. The
maximum organic pollution occurred in January, February, March,
August, and November. Of the three companies supplying this
parish, the West Middlesex Company delivered the best water.
The following table shows the amount of organic matter in the
several supplies, the Kent Company's water being taken as the
standard for comparison:—
Name of Company. Maximum. Minimum. Average.
Kent 1.0 1.0 1.0
West Middlesex 7.6 2.1 4.1
Grand Junction 7.4 2.0 4.2
Chelsea 7.9 2.2 4.4
The water of the Thames is at its source as free from pollution
as the chalk well water, but in its downward course becomes
largely contaminated by sewage and the washings of cultivated
land, particularly during the winter.
This water, moreover, is hard, and large quantities of soap and
soda are required to soften it before it is used for washing, but
the softening could be accomplished for a small fraction of the
expense by substituting lime for soap or soda, as practised on
similar waters at Aylesbury, Canterbury, Caterham, and Tring.
For drinking, however, it would appear, as the result of considerable
inquiry into rates of mortality in different districts, that soft
and hard (but not excessively hard) waters, if equally free from
deleterious orgranic substances, are equally wholesome.