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WATER SUPPLY.
The District is chiefly supplied with water by the Sutton District
Water Company, whose mains supply that part of the District on the
north-west side of Brighton Road and Chipstead Valley Road, and
by the East Surrey Water Company, who supply the remainder of the
District. There are, in addition, a comparatively small private supply
to premises on the Old Coulsdon Estate, Coulsdon, and a private supply
to the Cane Hill Hospital, which latter is augmented from the East
Surrey Water Company's mains as the need arises.
The source of the water supply in all cases is from deep wells sunk
into the chalk in various parts of this and neighbouring districts.
The mains of each Company were extended during the year to
replace old mains, and to meet the housing developments in various
parts of the District.
The reports upon the bacteriological examinations of the East
Surrey Water Company's and the Sutton and District Water Company's
supplies showed that these softened waters had maintained their usual
good quality for drinking and domestic purposes. Six samples of water
were taken from these sources, and were all found to be satisfactory.
It is understood that the water supplied by the Sutton and District
Water Company in this area is obtained from the Woodmansterne wells,
and a rota has been in existence for some time whereby monthly
samples for full examination are taken by the Local Authorities in the
districts supplied with water from these wells. The number of these
samples has now been further increased.
The Company, in addition, examines samples daily from each
source.
A similar rota has been agreed upon by the Local Authorities
supplied by the East Surrey Water Company, and owing to the greater
area covered, at least three or four samples per month will be examined,
in addition to the periodical samples taken by the Company.
Sampling is, however, only one form of control, and can not be
relied upon solely to secure the protection of consumers, irrespective of
the frequency with which samples are examined. Undoubtedly in builtup
areas such as those from which the greater part of the water
supplied in this District originates, the most important factor is continuous
and adequate treatment at the source, the responsibility for
which rests upon the water undertakers.
The method of treatment of the water by the statutory companies
has been carefully reviewed. In each case the employment of a form
of lime treatment, together with chlorination, presents a double line of
protection of the water at the source of supply. If fully maintained
and supervised these methods should limit the risk of water borne disease
to contamination occurring after the water has left the works.
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