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16
amount of organic matter has been insignificant. The nitrogen,
as organic and saline ammonia, has also been remarkably
small in quantity, amounting to a trace in the Kent Company's
water, and less than one hundreth part of a grain in
the gallon of Thames water.
As regards turbidity, the water supplied by the Kent
Company was always bright and nearly colourless, but that
of the Lambeth Company was at times turbid, from the
presence of finely divided clay of a harmless character. The
latter mixture was, no doubt, owing to some fault in the
subsidence or filter reservoirs. It is satisfactory to have so
favourable an account given of the water supplied to the
District from so eminent a chemist as Dr. Letherby ; but the
water supplied by the Companies differs very materially from
the water which is at times contained in the cisterns and butts
of consumers. The quantity of water is not so deficient, but
the means of storage are faulty. Water is very liable to
absorb noxious gases arising from impurities; as an illustration
of which I may mention the great facility with which
the odour of paint is communicated to water; cisterns are
often situated over water-closets; the waste-pipes to cisterns
are in almost all instances connected with the water-closets,
or enter the drain direct (which arrangements are quite unnecessary),
they are sometimes very carelessly trapped, blowing
off sufficient sewage gases to contaminate the water; a portion
of water is also retained for a long time in cisterns; cisterns
and butts frequently have their covers removed and destroyed,
and the water is exposed to the rays of the sun; in many
instances they are seldom or never cleaned, and their sides
become slimy and offensive; and in most instances potable
water is not filtered domestically before use.
For these amongst other reasons, great benefit would
have accrued to the poorer inhabitants of the District if the
Water Act of 1852 and 1873 had been successful in obtaining
a constant supply of water to the residents in this District.
The cost of the alteration of fittings seems to be the great
obstacle to this arrangement; but as the Water Companies