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94
cause ; so that the relation of the outbreak to the water supplyjof the
Borough of Hackney must be very closely examined before concluding
that it has not been concerned in spreading the disease.
The Borough of Hackney is supplied with water for domestic use
by two water companies, viz.: the New River Company, and the
East London Water Company. The former Company supplies that
part of Hackney west of a line drawn zigzag from the junction of
Albion Road and Queen's Road, on the south, to the junction of
Dalston Lane with the Amhurst Road. From this point it follows
the line of the G.E.R. northwards to Stamford Hill Station. The East
London Water Company supplies the remainder of Hackney to the
east of this line and in addition, this Company supplies amongst
other places, the following London Boroughs:—Bethnal Green,
nearly all Stepney, Poplar, and North Woolwich.
With respect to the New River Company, no further reference
need be made to this Company, because only one or two cases of
enteric fever have occurred in the area supplied by this Water
Company during the period under review.
The East London Water Company derives its water from three
sources. 1, The River Thames; 2, the River Lea; 3, Deep wells i
the chalk.
1. The Thames water, which amounts to about 8,000,000 gallons
per diem, is drawn from the river at Sunbury, there filtered and
conveyed by a three feet main to the Finsbury Park covered
reservoir, where it mixes with Lea Water and gravitates to Hackney,
where it is distributed to about one-third of the district.
2. The intake for the Lea water is at Chingford Mill, whence it
flows in an open conduit to the large reservoirs at Tottenham and
Walthamstow. These are connected by an open channel with the
filter beds at Lea Bridge, of which there are 25, and of these 23 are
constantly filtering water. The filtered water passes into a large
culvert, from whence it is pumped directly into the large mains of