London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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St Giles (Camberwell) 1869

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell, St. Giles]

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the following table and the following remarks:—

Number of occasions when clear and transparent.Number of occasions when slightly turbid.Number of occasions when turbid.Number of occasions when very turbid.Number of occasions when living organisms were seen.
Water from the Thames:
Chelsea73203
West Middlesex120000
Grand Junction83104
Southwark45128
Lambeth53135
Water from other sources:
New River120000
East London63214
Kent120000

"In consequence of the frequent instances of turbidity
"of the water supplied by the Southwark and Vauxhall
"and Lambeth Water Companies, the Medical Officer of
"the Privy Council directed an inquiry to be made into
"the causes of this turbidity. The investigation was en"trusted
to Mr. J. Netten Radcliffe, who, in July last,
"made a valuable and elaborate Report on the subject.
"He found the turbidity of the Southwark and Vauxhall
"Company's water to be due—1st, to deficiency of pro"vision
for subsidence; 2nd, insufficiency of area of
"filtering surface; 3rd, in certain instances, to the admis"sion
of tidal water from the Thames into the reservoirs
"at Battersea, either by direct inflow, by soakage, or by