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23
WATER SUPPLY.
During the year the average daily supply of the Southwark
and Vauxhall Water Company was 33,753,671 gallons.
Of this an average daily supply of about 1,500,000 gallons
was derived from the Company's well at Streatham: thus the
average dailv amount drawn from the Thames was more
than 32,000,000 gallons.
By the agreement with the Conservators, the Company
was allowed to take not more than 24,500,000 gallons daily.
So that last year the Company was taking an average of
more than 7,500,000 gallons daily from the Thames in excess
of this amount. However, under sec. 2 of the Southwark and
Vauxhall Act, 1897, the Company were temporarily authorized
to take from the River Thames, but under certain restrictions,
and whether or not in excess of 24,500,000 gallons in
24 hours, such quantity of water as may be required by them
for the purpose of fulfilling obligations imposed on them by
statute with respect to the supply of water within their
limits.
During the months of January, February and March there
was a large excess of organic matter in the Thames. It was
the same with the water supplied by the Company, which
shows that the storage at the command of the Company was
inadequate.
The bacterial condition of the water from the filters,
during the same three months, was also bad, for in every
sample taken the number of microbes after filtration was in