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
Sutton and Cheam 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton and Cheam]
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Sanitary Circumstances of the Area.
Water Supply.— The water supply is mainly derived
from the deep wells in the chalk of the Sutton District
Water Company, situated at Sutton, Cheam and
Woodmansterne. A small area in the North Ward is
supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board.
The Cheam wells were re-opened to supply on 18th
June, 1938, with the approval of the Minister of
Health. Efficient safeguards by tank settlement,
chlorination, and bacteriological control have been
adopted.
The water from all the wells of the Sutton District
Water Company is softened to 9 degrees of
hardness. Chlorine is applied in the form of
chloramine as a protective measure. Samples are!
examined daily by the Company's chemist and
bacteriologist in the laboratory at the Sutton
works. Samples are also examined at monthly intervals
by the Company's Consultant Analyst, and
monthly samples are examined in rotation by the
District Councils in the area of supply.
The supply from all sources has been satisfactory in quality and quantity, and below is the average of monthly analyses:—
| Total solid residue dried at 180° C. | Ammonia, free. | Ammonia Albuminoid. | Nitrogen as Nitrates. | Nitrogen as Nitrites. | Oxygen absorbed in 4 hours at 80°F. | Chlorine (in chlorides). | Hardness total (soap test). | No. of Bacteria growing on Agar per c.c. for 3 days at 20o C. | No. of Bacteria growing on Agar per c.c. for 1 day at 37o C. | Presence of Bacillus Coli in 100 c.c. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 18.25 | .0171 | .0006 | 0.8400 | 0 | .0037 | 1.8833 | 7.22 | 3 | 1 | .1 |