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23
polluted condition as to be utterly unfit for dietetic
purposes " The Lea water delivered by the East London,
and in part by the New River Companies, was as usual
much better than that drawn from the Thames ; but in
January this water was also unfit for domestic use.
The New River Water was better than that of the
East London Company.
The average daily quantity of water supplied by
the London Companies, during the year 1877, was
120,864,496 gallons, of which nearly 61 million gallons
were sometimes much polluted with sewage matter ;
upwards of 52 million gallons were occasionally so
polluted, but to a much less degree ; whilst 7,230,993
gallons were of unexceptionable quality.
The quantity of water used for extinguishing fires
during 1877 was rather more than 14½ million gallons,
or about 65,400 tons. About one half of this quantity
was taken from the river, canals, and docks, and the
remainder from the street pipes.
Variations of temperature, according to the season,
were observed in the river waters, ranging through no
less than 25°.7 Fahr. At the highest temperature in
August the water was vapid and unpalatable. The
range of temperature in the deep well waters of the Kent
and Colne Valley Companies was much less, being only
13°.0 Fahr., and the water was never unpalatable.
Of the solid matters contained in the water, and
composed of a great variety of substances, the largest
proportion was entirely harmless when the water was
used for dietetic purposes ; but as such water is usually