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44
became apparent that neither Registration London nor the
London of the County Council, nor even Water London, was
sufficiently extensive for the purpose. Not only should
suburban districts be included in the area to be reported upon
by the Commission, but such more remote districts must be
considered as might reasonably be expected to be reached by the
spreading of the population of London at no very distant time.
After due consideration, the Commissioners determined to take
as their basis that area known as Greater London, and to add
to it certain parts of Water London which lie outside Greater
London as now computed. The report states that the increase
in population of this area, as shewn by the census returns for
the last 50 years, has been far from equable. Taking, however,
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
4772 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 are 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