View report page

53
The evidence of the pollution of the River increases during its course as
far as London Bridge, showing an increase of Free Ammonia from .068 grains
per gallon at Teddington Weir to .195 grains per gallon at London Bridge,
taken at the central arch.
In this part of the River the effluent from the sewage works of Richmond,
Kew and Sheen, discharges into the River as well as several storm outfalls
from the main sewer of the London County Council, especially at Hammersmith
and Blackfriars, which is a possible explanation of the increase of
the pollution.
At Greenwich the Free Ammonia falls to .102 grains per gallon, rising at
Woolwich to .1445.
At Greenhithe the sample shows a great increase in pollution, which is
explained by the discharge of some two hundred and fifty millions
(250,000,000) of gallons per day of sewage effluent at Barking and Crossness
from the London County Council sewer outfalls.
In connection with this I would refer to Table " A,'' Nos. 7-15, which shows
the analysis of the effluent at Barking, and the result of the pollution of the
River below that point.
At Gravesend, the condition of the River has improved, and the evidence
of pollution there is about the same as that of the River at Greenwich.
The sample taken off the Chapman Lighthouse shows a great improvement,
and agrees with the results of the analyses made and published in the
Reports of the Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal.
The effluent from Leigh is much more impure than that from Barking, and
apparently more than that of Southend and Sheerness. These two latter
could not be obtained in an undiluted condition at the outfall; they are mixed
with sea water and show evidence of better condition.
It will be remembered that it has, until recently, been the practice of the
Leigh fishermen to lay down cockles in Leigh Creek, in the vicinity of the
Leigh sewer outfall, and persons eating cockles from this place have
subsequently developed Enteric Fever.
An increase in the pollution below Southend Pier was obviously caused by
the discharge of sewage from Southend, but a comparatively low figure is
again reached about halfway between the West Middle and Shoebury Buoys,