View report page

47
The suggestions made by the Companies for extending
their works, and so augmenting the volume of distributable
water, may be stated as follows :—
(I) The abstraction of more water from the Thames
without providing storage. (2) The abstraction of more
water from the Thames and Lea with provision for storage.
(3) The abstraction of water from gravel beds adjoining the
Thames. (4) The abstraction of more water from deep wells
in the chalk formation.
The report next proceeds to deal with the several suggestions
which were laid before the Commissioners as to the construction
of large storage reservoirs. Of the schemes submitted
that of Messrs. Hunter and Fraser was considered the best. It
was brought forward by Mr. W. Hunter, M. Inst., C.E., a
Director, and Mr. Alexander Frazer, M. Inst., C.E., the
Engineer of the Grand Junction Company. It consists in the
construction of nine reservoirs upon land in the neighbourhood
of Staines, at a spot only a few miles from the existing works of
the Company. The storage capacity was to be obtained by
excavating below the surface in almost flat ground, and forming
the material removed into banks so as to increase the depth.
By this combined process of sinking and raising a depth of 40
feet would be obtained; the digging being entirely in gravel,
which overlies the clay to a depth of from 20 to 30 feet. The
advantage rightfully claimed for this scheme was that it could
be carried out by instalments, as might be from time to time
required.
After setting out the evidence given as to the estimated
supply of water that would be procured from gravel beds and
deep wells, the report summarizes the total capacity of the
supply as returned by the representatives of the Companies as
follows:— From the Thames, with additional storage
300,000,000 gallons per day; from the Lea, with the East
London Company's projected storage 52,500,000 gallons,