Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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Results of the Chemical and Bacteriological Examination of the Water Supplied to Orpington Urban District Council during 1953.
(Parts per million, unless otherwise stated).
| Description of Sample. | No. of Samples. | Ammoniacal Nitrogen | Albuminoid Nitrogen | Oxidised Nitrogen Nitrate | Chlorides as C1. | Oxygen abs. from Permanganate 4 hrs. at 27 °C. | Turbidity in terms of Silica | Colour m.m. brown 2ft. tube Burgess's Tintometer. | Hardness (Total) | Non-Carbonate Hardness | pH Value | Magnesium Mg. | Silica SiO 2 | Sulphates SO 4 | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orpington Well | 4 | Nil | 0.025 | 6.7 | 15.4 | 0.09 | Nil | Nil | 281 | 47 | 7.2 | 3.1 | 15 | 15 | 500 |
| N. Orpington Well | 2 | 0.003 | 0.028 | 4.2 | 13.3 | 0.02 | Nil | Nil | 259 | 34 | 7.3 | 3.0 | 15 | 4 | 500 |
| Jewels Wood Well | 3 | Nil | 0.018 | 2.8 | 9.3 | 0.10 | Nil | Nil | 241 | 23 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 11 | 4 | 400 |
| Sundridge Well | 4 | 0.013 | 0.028 | 2.3 | 17.3 | 0.06 | Nil | Nil | 213 | 48 | 7.4 | 3.3 | 18 | 28 | 475 |
| Eynsford Well | 3 | 0.003 | 0.022 | 3.4 | 14.5 | 0.07 | Nil | Nil | 265 | 41 | 7.3 | 3.2 | 15 | 13 | 425 |
| Shortlands Well | 8 | 0.003 | 0.022 | 4.7 | 15.5 | 0.12 | Nil | Nil | 283 | 68 | 7.2 | 3.9 | 16 | 41 | 500 |
| Bexley Well | 11 | 0.005 | 0.021 | 4.8 | 16.1 | 0.06 | Nil | Nil | 284 | 54 | 7.3 | 3.9 | 18 | 30 | 450 |
Bacteriological Results.
| Before Chlorination (Raw Water). | After Clorination (Water passing into Supply). Bact. coli test | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plate count (average per millilitre) Colonies counted on Agar | Bact. coli test | Bact. coli test | ||||||
| 22°C. | 37°C. | Percentage samples neg. 100 ml. | Average No. per 100 ml. | Number of samples. | Percentage samples neg. 100 ml. | Average No. per 100 ml. | ||
| 3 days | 20-24 hrs. | |||||||
| Orpington Well | 249 | 1825.6 | 34.4 | 99.6 | 0.008 | 255 | 100.0 | Nil |
| N. Orpington Well | 242 | 33.2 | 1.7 | 33.1 | 18.000 | 248 | 100.0 | Nil |
| Jewels Wood Well | 188 | 4.4 | 0.4 | 96.3 | 0.053 | 193 | 100.0 | Nil |
| Sundridge Well | 299 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 99.0 | 0.017 | 255 | 100.0 | Nil |
| Eynsford Well | 265 | 162.6 | 0.7 | 99.6 | 0.008 | 272 | 99.6 | 0.019 |
| Shortlands Well | 493 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 99.8 | 0.004 | 253 | 100.0 | Nil |
| Bexley Well | 581 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 100.0 | Nil | 309 | 100.0 | Nil |