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38
the average annual increase per cent, in the whole period as a
basis, they think it may safely be computed that the population
of Greater London will continue to increase at the rate of 18.2
per cent, decennially, or in the ratio of 1.82 per cent, annually.
The report sets out at length a table showing the yearly
and monthly daily average both of water returned to the Official
Water Examiner under the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, as
supplied by the Companies in the year 1891. From this and
similar calculations made from other returns, it appears that
the quantity of water consumed per head of the population
differs widely in the districts of the several Companies.
Taking the population estimated by them as being actually
supplied, the quantities consumed per head per day range from
26.71 gallons in the case of the West Middlesex Company to
47.72 gallons in that of the Grand Junction Company; the
average over the whole of the population being 31.19 gallons
per head per day. The report next gives the present sources
from which the water supplied by the Companies is derived.
These are of four kinds, viz.:—(1) the River Thames and Lea;
(2) gravel beds adjoining the main stream of the Thames and
other gravel beds at Hanworth; (3) natural springs; and (4)
wells sunk into the chalk or other strata at such points in the
water sheds as may have been selected. The Commissioners
discuss these in the order named. All the Companies, except
the Kent Company, are dependent for some part of their supply
upon water derived either from the Thames or the Lea.
Turning to the question of the “necessities of the future,”
the Commissioners set out in the report the views of the several
Companies, who adopted the same term, viz., 40 years, as the
period for which it is desirable to look forward. The following
table gives the figures laid before the Commission by each
Company as to the estimated population and requirements of
their district in 1931;—