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WATER SUPPLY
All the dwellings in the Borough are supplied from the Metropolitan Water
Board's mains, and I am indebted to Dr. E. Windle Taylor, Director of Water
Examination, Metropolitan Water Board, for the following report:
"1 a) The supply was satisfactory both as to (i) quality, and (ii) quantity throughout
1970.
b) All new and repaired mains are disinfected with chlorine; after a predetermined
period of contact the pipes are flushed out and refilled; samples of
water are then collected from these treated mains; and the mains are returned
to service only after analytical results are found to be satisfactory.
The quality control from these laboratories is carried out by means of
daily sampling from sources of supply, from the treatment works or well
stations, from the distribution system, and through to the consumer. Any
sign of contamination or any other abnormality is immediately investigated.
c) (i) The Board has no record of the number of structurally separate dwellings
supplied in your area, but the population supplied direct according to the
Registrar General's estimates at 30th June, 1970, was 174,537.
(ii) No houses were permanently supplied by standpipe.
d) No artificial fluoride is being added, and where the fluoride content is indicated
in the analyses it represents the naturally occurring fluoride in the water.
2 a) The supply was derived from the following works and pumping stations:
River Thames — derived from Hampton pumping station.
No new sources of supply were instituted and there were no changes to
the general scheme of supply in your area.
The number of samples collected and the bacteriological and chemical
analyses of the supply from the above sources after treatment are shown on
page 58.
b) On account of their hardness content and alkaline reaction the Board's river
and well water supplies are shown to be not plumbo-solvent. It should however,
be appreciated that all types of water pick up varying amounts of metal
from the material of water piping particularly when it is newly installed; this
applies to copper, zinc, iron and also to lead.
3 a) During the year, 109 samples of swimming bath water were taken from the
six public pools in the Borough and were submitted for bacteriological examination
to the Public Health Laboratory Service. The recommended standard
is that 75% of samples should have a colony count of less than 10 per ml.,
the remainder less than 100. 85 samples were satisfactory and 24 were below
the recommended standard. Repeat samples produced satisfactory results.
(See page 85. — Swimming Pools).
b) Forty-three samples of swimming bath water were taken from school or privately
owned pools. Six were below the recommended standard but repeat
samples proved bacteriologically satisfactory.
c) Three samples of well water were submitted for bacteriological examination
and were satisfactory.
d) Two samples of mains water thought to be causing illness or to be abnormal
in taste were submitted for bacteriological examination. Both were
satisfactory.
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