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87
course of last year. Improvement has taken place in the manner
in which the several inspectors performed their duties. More
regularity in the inspection of the district would be of advantage
; still, so much of the time of these officers has been taken
up with special prosecutions, that the regular and systematic inspection
of the district could not be performed in quite a satisfactory
manner.
Water and Water Supply.
The water supply of this district is chiefly obtained from two
companies, the Chelsea and the West Middlesex. The average
amount of water supplied daily to each house during the year
was, Chelsea 239 gallons, and West Middlesex 166 gallons.
These amounts are more than sufficient for all domestic purposes.
The mean amount of organic carbon was '212 in
100,000) parts of water in that supplied by the Chelsea Company,
and '243 in that supplied by the West Middlesex. According
to the report of Dr. Frankland, from which these
particulars are taken, the waters abstracted from the Thames
were more polluted by organic matter last year than they have
been ever since these analyses have been made. "The nearest
approach to this degree of pollution was reached in the year
1872, but at this time the several companies were provided with
far less efficient apparatus for filtration than at present, so that
the actual pollution of the unfiltered Thames water during last
year must have been even still more strikingly in excess of
that of previous years. Owing to the flooded condition of the
river, even in summer, much filthy matter from sewers, cesspools
and cultivated fields was swept into it during these periods of
the year, when, through absence of heavy rain, they do not
usually reach the river." Of the waters taken from the Thames,
the best average supplies were furnished by the Chelsea and
West Middlesex Companies ; the water of the latter company,
however, showed the highest maximum, as well as the lowest
minimum, pollution. The temperature of the Thames water
varied from 36 8 degs. Fahrenheit in January to 68.0 degs. in
August. The mean amount of solid matter in 100,000 parts of
the water supplied by the Chelsea and West Middlesex Companies
was 28.02 and 28.36 respectively. The solid matter was
composed of a variety of substances, by far the largest proportion
being entirely harmless, when the water was used for
dietetic purposes, but decidedly objectionable when it was used
for washing, because the water was thereby rendered hard.
Although the amount of organic pollution was greater last year