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39
pany and of the Tottenham Local Board of Health.
The deep well water furnished by the Colne Valley
Company contained less than one-half of the solid
matter in the river waters, and less than one-third of
that in the other two deep well waters.
On the other hand the deep well waters invariably
contain much less organic impurity, as they are
filtered through porous strata of considerable thickness,
instead of through a few feet of sand.
The importance of organic impurity depends upon
its origin. Seeing that the rivers Thames and Lea,
though pure at their source, receive (especially in the
winter months) in their downward course the sewage
of towns and the washings of cultivated land, which
may at any time contain matter capable of producing
zymotic disease, the efforts of the Water Companies to
prevent morbific matter reaching the consumer should
be supplemented by the enforcement of the laws prohibiting
the discharge of sewage into the Thames and
Lea.
Of the deep well waters, that supplied by the
Kent Company, contained least organic matter, whilst
of the river waters the New River Company's was the
best in this respect; the East London Company's
water also contained a smaller average proportion of
organic matter than any of the Thames supplies.