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6
The provision of such vast quantities of water to so many
millions of people is mainly an engineering problem but its purity
and safety is equally important if we are to prevent the occurrence
of the water-borne diseases which affected us in the past. The
older Medical Officers of Health will remember being directly
responsible for the chemical and bacteriological examinations of
their water supplies; and an outbreak of enteric would send them
scurrying to double check its safety. We have got so used to the
high standards of safety set by the Board that if we are confronted
with an outbreak these days the water supply is almost the last
vehicle of infection we suspect. True we still receive in the
Department many complaints of foreign bodies in water, bad tastes,
bad smells infection, etc., but they are almost all due to domestic
storage conditions and not the main supply How often have dead
birds and rats been found in cisterns? The Water Board can hardly
be blamed for these.
One is tempted to regard the examination and security of the
quality and purity of water supplies as routine matters but as the
Report shows, new hazards and problems present themselves.
Establishments of the Atomic Energy Authority discharge their
waste into the Thames, from which source is extracted the bulk of
London s supply.
Tests for radio activity are therefore an added responsibility
Fortunately figures do not show any difference between Thames
waters and those from other sources.
Again attention has recently been drawn to the presence in
sewage polluted water of disease producing viruses. Viruses seem
to be more resistant to chlorination than bacteria. These are
just a few of the newer hazards and responsibilities that have to
be contended with.
The rarity of water-borne diseases and the never failing
water supply tends to make us forget the enormous amount of work
that goes on to produce for us a safe and wholesome product but
at least one person in Walthamstow maintains a keen interest in
our water supply. Alderman Tom Smith has been for many years the
BOrough s representative on the Water Board, and we are delighted
to know that his great concern and diligence as a member on our
behalf has been rewarded by the conferment upon him of the Vice
Chairmanship.
SMOKE CONTROL
Smoke Control Order No 1 came into operation on the 1st June,
1961 It is not anticipated that the concentration of smoke and
sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere will show a significant reduction
from that of the last few years until an appreciable area of the
Borough is under control.