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167
improvements already effected, in regard to filtration and
otherwise, that there is no further room for improvement.
And it is to be presumed that the Companies, under the
guidance of their skilled advisers, will do whatever may be
proved to be necessary for removing any remaining cause for
complaint. I should particularly welcome one improvement,
which has been advocated in these reports for many years,
viz., the adoption of Clark's softening process, which would, I
believe, have a distinctly beneficial effect upon the quality of
the water, whilst removing an objection to it, upon economical
grounds, which is always referred to by Professor Sir
Edward Frankland, F.R.S., in his annual report on the water
supply of the Metropolis, appended to the Annual Summary
of the Registrar-General; which, for 1897, had not been published
when the present report went to press. To sum up, I
see no reason for varying the opinion, expressed in many
former reports, that the water supply of the Metropolis, from
existing and projected sources, is capable of being made
everything that can be desired, so as to satisfy the reasonable
requirements of its vast population.
Cisterns and Bye-Laws.—Upon a notice of motion, in
December, the Sanitary Committee were requested to bring
up a report "showing how far the bye-laws with respect to
the cleansing of cisterns have been enforced in this parish."
This subject was dealt with in the twelth report (December 8th,
page 141), wherein it was observed that it was one to
which, periodically, during many years, I had endeavoured, in
reports, to attract the attention of the inhabitants of this
parish. In the annual report for 1895 (page 131), to cite but
one instance, when dealing with the question of—
Deterioration of Water in Dirty Cisterns, I
wrote as follows :—
"Filtration, however perfect, avails little, if the water is
allowed, as frequently happens, to be fouled after delivery.