View report page

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
Water Supply
A generous supply of safe and wholesome water is of inestimable value to public health.
The Borough is supplied with such a supply by the Metropolitan Water Board whose principal
local sources are the excellent well waters of the Cray Valley.
The following extract from the Metropolitan Water Board's report on the water supplied
to this Borough is reproduced by kind permission of Dr.Windle Taylor, Director of the
Metropolitan Water Board's Water Examination Department: —
"1. (a) The supply was satisfactory both as to (i) quality, and (ii) quantity throughout 1971.
(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 the analytical
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 signs of contamination or any other
abnormality is immediately investigated.
(c) (i) The Board has no record of the number of structually separate dwellings supplied
in the area, but the population supplied direct according to the Registrar-General's
estimates at 30th June 1971, was 216,172.
(ii) No houses were permanently supplied by stand-pipe.
(d) No artificial fluoride is being 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
— derived water from the Thames Valley Group. Well water from Bexley, Crayford,
Darenth, Eynsford, Horton Kirby, Wansunt and Wilmington Pumping Stations.
No new sources of supply were instituted and there were no changes to the general
scheme of supply in the area.
(b) On account of their hardness content and alkaline reaction the Board's river and well
water supplies are shown to be not 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."
93