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31
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
WATER
Supply
Almost all the area obtains its water from the Colne Valley Water
Company, coming from wells supplied by gathering grounds in the
Chilterns. The supply to the district as a whole is satisfactory. From
information received from the Water Company, it appears that at periods
of heavy demand the pressure of supply in certain parts of South Harrow
fell below the Company's normal standard. This will be rectified when a
trunk main which is proposed has been laid.
Before distribution the supply water is chlorinated and partially
dechlorinated ; part of the supply water is also filtered.
Full particulars of the places at which water is collected and details
of the purification processes carried out were set out in the Annual
Report for 1954. The following roads in the district are supplied partly
by the Colne Valley Water Company and partly by the Rickmansworth
and Uxbridge Valley Water Company: Wood End Avenue, Westwood
Avenue, Wood End Road and Cavendish Avenue.
Safety
Responsibility for the wholesomeness of the water supply rests with
the Water Company. In addition, district councils have under Section 111
of the Public Health Act, 1936, responsibility for ascertaining the wholesomeness
of the water supplies of their districts. To this end samples are
submitted periodically for full chemical and bacteriological analysis. In
addition, samples are submitted for analysis of water collected from houses
in which there are persons suffering from complaints which might have
been contracted by consuming water. Particulars of these cases are passed
by the Public Health Department to the Water Company.
The Company carry out regular bacteriological and chemical examinations
of the raw water and of the water going into supply from the
Company's pumping stations, service reservoirs and at the houses of the
consumers. 700 samples of raw water were submitted to bacteriological
examination ; the results of these were variable. 2,473 samples of supply
water were submitted to bacteriological examination of which 100
samples were collected from this district. All results of these were satisfactory.
389 samples of raw water were submitted to chemical examination.
Again the results were variable. 586 samples of water were submitted to
chemical examination, forty-two being from this district. The results of
these were satisfactory.