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49
The Commissioners recommend that the inspection of the
River Thames should be more thoroughly done than it is at
present, and that increased provision should be made, in the form
of reservoirs for avoiding the taking in of water while the river
is in a state of flood. Of all the sites that have been suggested
to them as suitable for reservoirs they consider none in the
Thames Valley so reliable as can be found upon the London clay,
only a short distance above the Hampton intakes. From the
Thames, when required, may be taken 300,000,000 gallons a day ;
from the Lea, 52,500,000 gallons; from wells in the Lea Valley,
40,000,000 gallons; and from wells in the Kent Company's
district, 27,500,000 gallons; besides a further considerable
quantity, should it ever be wanted, from the Valley of the
Medway and the country to the east of it.
The Commission, as might be expected, deal with the
question broadly, without committing themselves to details. It
would be going beyond the duty of useful criticism to discuss
some of the interesting scientific, though minor, points upon
which the Commissioners adopted views adverse to those of some
of the distinguished witnesses who appeared before them. There
are, however, in the enquiry two points which rather hang upon
one another, and about which we wish the Commission had told
us a little more. These are:—
(1) The effect which might be expected upon the Thames of
taking double the present quantity of the water from
the river during periods of drought.
(2) The amount of storage space to be provided above the
intakes in order to make the taking of any more of this
water unnecessary.
The conclusion of the Commission is most distinct that there
is ample supply of water derivable from the River Thames and
Lea, from wells in the chalk in the Lea Valley, and also in the
district of the Kent Water Works Company, which will be
d