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West Middlesex. Harwich sand, 2ft. Sin.; Barnes sand 1ft.; gravel screened
to different sizes, and arranged in layers 2ft. 3in, Total thickness 5½ft.
Grand Junction. Harwich sand, 2ft. Gin.; Hoggin, 6in.; fine gravel, 9in.;
coarse gravel, 9in. ; boulders, 1ft. Total thickness, 5½ft.
Chelsea. Thames sand, 3ft. 3in.; shells, &tc., 3in.; gravel, 4ft 6in. Total
thickness, 8ft.
It is to little purpose, however, that well filtered and "good"
water should be supplied if the supply is allowed, as it so
frequently is, to deteriorate in the cisterns of the consumers
through the uncleanly condition of those receptacles, and the
connection of them with the drains through the medium of
"waste-pipes," which the Companies only have the power to
abolish under the provisions of the water regulations (No. 14, vide
p. 123). The remedy no doubt is a "constant supply;" but as we
shall have to wait long for this, I would again urge that the
Companies should be compelled to exercise their powers, or
that the Sanitary Authorities should have equal power with
the Companies to enforce the regulations.
The quantity of water supplied daily, 294, 191, and
290 gallons per house, by the Grand Junction, West
Middlesex, and Chelsea Companies respectively, was superabundant,
and indicates great waste, amounting as it does,
in the three districts respectively, to 30.80, 25.51 and
36.77 gallons per head of the population. The "intake" of
the Chelsea Company is at West Molesey; of the others, at
Hampton Court. The Grand Junction supply is supplemented
from gravel beds at Hampton. The state of the water in the
Thames during the months of January, February, parts of
March and April, November, and December, was generally
bad; and, owing to the frequent heavy floods, the water that
had to be taken in by the Companies was much polluted, and
was found to be extremely difficult to filter. The solid impurities
in suspension, chiefly consisting of clay, marl, and chalk in a
very finely divided state, can be got rid of only by long subsidence
previous to filtration.
The following particulars, among others, are given by Col.
Bolton, in respect of the local Companies:—