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Water Supply
I am indebted to Dr. E. Windle Taylor, Director of Water Examination, Metropolitan
Water Board, for the following report regarding the Board's supply to the area of
the London Borough of Southwark.
1. (a) The supply was satisfactory both as to quality and quantity throughout
1968.
(b) All new and repaired mains are disinfected with chlorine; after a predetermined
period of contact the pipes are flushed out and refilled; samples of
water are then collected from these treated mains; and the mains are
returned to service only after results are found to be satisfactory.
The quality control from these laboratories is carried out by means of
daily sampling from sources of supply, from the treatment works or well
stations, from the distribution system, and through to the consumer. Any
sign of contamination or any other abnormality is immediately investigated.
(c) (i) The Board has no record of the number of structurally separate
dwellings supplied in your area, but the population supplied direct
according to the Registrar General's estimates at 30th June, 1968, was
293,120.
(ii) No houses were permanently supplied by standpipe.
(d) No artificial fluoride was added, and where the fluoride content is
indicated in the analyses it represents the naturally occurring fluoride in
the water.
2. (a) The supply was derived from the following works and pumping stations: —
River Thames (Southern group)
Honor Oak Well
No new sources of supply were instituted and there were no changes to
the general scheme of supply in your area.
The number of samples collected and the bacteriological and chemical
analyses of the supply from the above sources after treatment are shown in
the following tables.
(b) On account of their hardness content and alkaline reaction the Board's
river and well water supplies are not considered to be plumbo-solvent. It
should, however, be appreciated that all types of water pick up varying
amounts of metal from the material of water piping particularly when it is
newly installed; this applies to copper, zinc, iron and also to lead.
Special tests for lead have been carried out during 1968 on 100 premises
where a lead supply pipe is installed. The premises were chosen to give an
even distribution of samples throughout the whole of the Board's area.
Two samples were collected from each premises; one was the first running
of water standing in the lead pipe overnight and the other was a sample of
water after running the tap for a few minutes. The results are set out as
follows: —
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