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There were nine reports of contamination from hydrants during the year, twelve reports of
contamination from standpipes and twenty-eight reports of contamination from the ends of delivery
hoses supplying fresh water to ships. The contamination from watering points was discovered
during the normal course of routine sampling and indicates the necessity to continue routine
bacteriological sampling of the water supplies in the District. No single attributable cause for
the contamination was discovered after investigation and it must be assumed that the contamination
had been introduced through unhygienic handling of the watering equipment. No ships received
"unfit" water.
There were forty-three reports of contamination in the distribution supplies on board ships.
These samples were drawn mainly from fresh water taps over galley and messroom sinks. The
source of supply from these taps is from the "domestic fresh water" storage contained in double
bottom tanks and peak tanks. The presence of this potential danger on board stresses the necessity
of ensuring that the standard of purity of "domestic" water supplies should be as high as
the "potable" water supplies.
Five samples drawn directly from ships storage tanks were all good.
Four samples of fresh water were drawn from the water boats purveying fresh water in the
District. Two samples from the delivery ends of supply hoses showed contamination. In each
case standard procedure of chlorination was carried out.
Due regard is paid to the co-operation this Authority has received from other United Kingdom
and Continental Ports through the interchange of adverse fresh water sampling reports in respect
of those ships where some degree of contamination of the fresh water on board was discovered
subsequent to departure for another United Kingdom or Continental Port. This interchange of
information enables follow-up visits to be made by the Port Health Authorities concerned and
enables remedial measures to be taken before the ship sails.
The 87.22% of "satisfactory", "good" and "excellent" results in the fresh water supplies
as shown in Table 2 compares reasonably well with the percentage figure obtained in previous
years. The number of "unfit", "unsatisfactory" and "suspicious" samples indicates the importance
of verifying the purity of fresh water supplies to shipping.

87.22%
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