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44
These objectionable extremes rendered both waters
unpleasantly cold in winter and unpalatably warm in
summer. The deep well water supplied by the
Kent Company varied only from 50° Fahr. in
January to 57.9° Fahr. in July and September. The
Colne Valley Company's water remained practically
constant throughout the year at 52° Fahr.
Much of the solid matters dissolved in the waters
is composed of various substances which are harmless
when the water is used for drinking purposes,
but are objectionable when it is used for washing, on
account of the water 'being thereby rendered hard.
All the water supplied to the Metropolis would be
improved if it were submitted to Clark's process,
which consists in the addition to it of slaked lime,
thus precipitating the carbonate of lime, the presence
of which in solution in the water mainly causes the
hardness.
The average quality of the water drawn from the
Ihamesand the Lea during the greater part of the
year was much better than usual, as the Companies
subjected it to more efficient filtration, and have at
their command improved means of storage ; nevertheless,
in January, February, March, and December,
the water distributed by most of the Companies from
these sources was much polluted with organic matter,
and not fit to drink. Generally, the Lea water was