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85
During the illness of Inspector Wiggs, and from his
death to the appointment of his successor, the Vestry
engaged, at a salary of £3 per week, as a temporary
Inspector, Mr. T. Lightfoot (late Chief Inspector of Westminster),
who commenced his duties on October 18th,
1897.
The fall in the number of samples found to be adulterated,
and in the amounts of penalties and costs obtained on
convictions during the past year, is to be attributed to
Inspector Wiggs' illness, which prevented him from carrying
out his duties systematically and regularly during the
latter half of the year. His successor will, it is to be
hoped, bring back the averages to what they were—
averages of which the Vestry has reason to be justly proud.
Analysis of the Water Supply.
The Water Supply to the Parish of Lambeth is derived
from two Companies, viz.:—
(a.) The Southwark and Vauxhall, and
(b.) The Lambeth;
and each source of supply has been analysed regularly—
the samples (two from each company) being collected by
the Medical Officer of Health monthly, and sent to the
Public Analyst. The analysis consists of a physical and
chemical examination * only of the samples, and costs the
Vestry £50 8s. per annum for the 48 samples analysed.
The results of the analyses were satisfactory during the
year 1897, so that no further action has been necessary,
but it will be a question for the Vestry to decide as to the
advisability or otherwise of having an independent bacteriological
analysis made (the only bacteriological analyses
at present available being the ordinary monthly ones of
the Official Analysts of the Local Government Board.)
Experience points to the importance of such bacteriological
examinations of water supplies, to supplement the
chemical analyses, together with regular inspection of the
sources of supply, places of storage, etc.