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63
The part of Croydon outside the "Croydon Water Area." which
is, for convenience, termed the '' Lambeth Area," was supplied
by the Lambeth Water Company from the year 1850 to the year
1904, when the works within the Borough were purchased from the
Metropolitan Water Board, who also unde'rtook to supply 500
million gallons per annum at 21/8d. per 1,000 gallons. This water
is derived from the Thames at Hampton, and is purified by sedimentation
followed by sand filtration.
SAFETY OF THESE SUPPLIES.—Practically the problem of
the safety of a given water supply depends on what answer can be
given to the following question. Is there any substantial reason for
fearing that the water is or may become contaminated with the
germs of enteric (typhoid) fever? In other words, can unpurified
sewage gain access to the well ? Unfortunately the answer to this
question is specially difficult in the case of a well sunk in fissured
strata such as chalk, and can only be given after careful weighing
of the evidence afforded—(1) by the records of epidemics; (2) by
inspection of the well and its gathering ground; (3) by regular
chemical and bacteriological examinations of the water.
To discuss all these matters in detail is outside the scope of the
present report, and I must therefore content myself with summarising
certain of the more important conclusions to which I have been led.
SURREY STREET WELLS. —As already stated these wells were
first used by the public in December 1851. From that time until
now there have been two epidemics of "fever," one in 1853 and one
in 1875.
Concerning the nature of the epidemic of 1853 considerable
doubt exists. Probably diarrhoea and enteric fever were prevalent
contemporaneously. How far these diseases may have been spread
by the public water supply cannot now be estimated, as the records
are too meagre. At the time the epidemic was thought to be due to
the disturbance of the soil consequent on the sewering of the town
and to the emptying of cesspools. The possibility of pollution of
the wells by these same sewerage works and by the Bourne, which
was also flowing, cannot, however, be disregarded.
In 1875 a considerable epidemic of enteric fever occurred in the
" Croydon" water area. Though drainage defects were thought at
the time to have been largely concerned in the causation of the