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191
bacterial impurity (meaning initial number of microbes per
c.c. at the filter wells), which should not be surpassed; but it
would appear that the Chelsea and the West Middlesex Companies
would not have much difficulty in keeping below 50
microbes per cubic centimetre. In view of the importance
filtration has assumed, "in the light of recent bacteriological
research," he recommends "double filtration, as affording a
second line of defence against the invasion of pathogenic
microbes, in the case of river waters used for domestic
purposes, when these have received sewage or sewageeffluents.
" That double filtration is not an impracticable
project is proved by the fact that the Grand Junction
Company have already begun to carry it out on a very considerable
scale." I should be glad if the Companies could see
their way to give their customers the added advantages of the
softening process, which I cannot but think would materially
improve the supply.
Supervision of the water supply is vested in a water
examiner, appointed under the provisions of the Water Act,
1871, whose report for 1892 has not yet been published. The
few particulars subjoined, are mainly taken from his monthly
report for March, 1893. In that month, the Grand Junction Company
supplied 44i gallons per head, daily, to their customers ;
the Chelsea Company, 39 gallons ; the West Middlesex Company,
31 gallons. For domestic purposes the Registrar-General
states, in his Annual Summary, the gallons per house supplied,
daily, in 1892, by the several Companies, in the order given,
were 267,232, and 189. In March, the Grand Junction Company
were giving constant service to 85 per cent, of the houses
in their district, the West Middlesex Company to 52 per cent.,
the Chelsea Company to 41 per-cent. The eight Companies
which supply London were, at that date, giving constant supply
to 560,151 houses, or 71 per cent, of the total number of
supplies—-the East London Company heading the list with 98
per-cent. The number of days' supply represented by the