London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hillingdon 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]
This page requires JavaScript
Environmental Health
GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Hillingdon is one of 32 London Boroughs created by the London Government Act, 1963
and the administrative Borough came into being on 1st April, 1965. The Borough is situated on
the north west border of the Greater London area, and has a total area of 42.5 square miles. There
is extensive urban development but approximately half of the Borough is designated Green Belt
with a predominantly rural character. The Borough is 12 miles from north to south and 4 miles
from east to west. It contains almost the whole of London (Heathrow) Airport as well as Northolt
aerodrome. The area is bisected by the M.4 motorway and the A.40 major arterial road as well
as a number of major rail links. In addition to providing housing for those who work in Central
London the area provides significant local industrial development, particularly in Hayes and
Uxbridge. Land in the southern part of the Borough, especially associated with the canal network
is being reclaimed and imaginatively developed.
WATER SUPPLY
Three water companies supply the Borough:— Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water
Company, Colne Valley Water Company and the South West Suburban Water Company.
The results of chemical analysis of water from these three companies are as follows:
| Colne Valley Water Co. | Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Co. | South West Suburban Water Co. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear and bright | Clear and bright | Clear and bright |
| Reaction (pH) | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.6 |
| Dissolved solids | 393.2 | 334.0 | 478.8 |
| Suspended solids | — | — | 0.1 |
| Chlorion | 34.0 | 20.0 | 39.6 |
| Free and Saline Nitrogen | — | — | — |
| Albuminoid Nitrogen | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Nitrate nitrogen | 1.20 | 0.40 | 0.75 |
| Nitrite nitrogen | — | — | — |
| Oxygen demand | 0.1 | 1.90 | 1.05 |
| Biochemical oxygen demand | 0.12 | 0.24 | 0.23 |
| Total Alkalinity (CaCO3) | 180.00 | 238.00 | 218.00 |
| Lead (Pb) | Not detected | Not detected | Not detected |
| Zinc (Znl) | Not detected | Not detected | Not detected |
| Copper (Cu) | 0.15 | Not detected | Not detected |
The fluoride content of the respective water supplies is as follows:
South West Suburban Water Company 0.262 parts per million
Colne Valley Water Company 0.075 parts per million
Rickmansworth & Uxbridge Valley Water Company 0.25-1.4 parts per million
The naturally high fluoride content of one of the wells supplying the Borough accounts for the
variation in the case of the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Supply.
55