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

Sutton 1970

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton]

This page requires JavaScript

Table: 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 as follows:-

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 as follows:-

Number of SamplesAgar plate count per ml.Coliform countE. coli. count
20-24 hours at 37 C.3 days at 22 C.Per cent samples negative in 100ml.Per cent samples negative in 100ml.
River Thames derived3,7108.099.9299.97
Merton Abbey80.03100.0100.0

Table: Average Results of the Chemical Examination of Water (Milligrames per litre (unless otherwise stated))

Average Results of the Chemical Examination of Water (Milligrames per litre (unless otherwise stated))

River ThamesMerton AbbeyRiver ThamesMerton Abbey
No. of Samples3633Chloride as C14016
Ammoniacal Nitrogen0.0260.015Phosphate as PO42.7
Albuminoid Nitrogen0.0830.021Silicate as Si029
Nitrate Nitrogen4.80.8Sulphate as SO470
Oxygen abs. from KMn041.020.12Natural Fluoride as F0.200.50
Hardness (total) CaCOg274244Surface-active material as Manoxol OT0.03
Hardness (non-carbonate) CaCOg7922Turbidity Units0.10.3
Magnesium as Mg.5Colour (Burgess units)116
Sodium as Na.27.7pH value7.97.3
Potassium as K.5.6Electrical Conductivity (Micromhos)570480

Text

Copy text to clipboard

(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 alf 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.
Water
Forty-six samples of water taken by the Public Health Inspectors were reported
as satisfactory.
52