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5
North Mimms. It is pumped direct into the mains or into
reservoirs at New Barnet and Rowley Green. It is of great
purity, pleasant to drink and almost free from organic matter or
objectionable hacteria.
Like all London water, it is of considerable hardness, varying
in the different wells from 22 to 26 degrees of hardness (1 degree
of hardnes is equal to 1 in 100,000 paits, 0.7 grains of carbonate
of lime in 1 gallon of water). Much of the hardness might be
remedied by boiling; this process precipitates the lime, but at
the same time by boiling out the oxygen, renders the water less
pleasant to the taste. So far as is known the hardness has no
deleterious effect, such as causing disease of the blood vessels or
the so called rheumatic affections of joints. On the other hand,
those who use it are free from the diseases associated with the
consumption of softer water obtained from reservoirs, such as
rickets and lead poisoning.
The only possible source of contamination of water obtained
from the chalk would be through "swallow-holes," which are
cavernous openings commonly found at the junction of the Reading
beds and the chalk into which streames disappear. One of these
"swallow-holes" is found near North Mimms, where water from
nearly 20 square miles of land disappears. Frequent examinations
of the water are made so that contaminations may be at
once detected.
Drainage and Sewerage.
The District is sewered and drained on the separate system.
The sewage is conveyed to an irrigation farm of 50 acres in area
at Brunswick Park, but before it is turned on to the land, it is
passed through percolating filters and finally into Pymmes Brook.
Samples of the effluent are occasionally taken by the Lee Conservancy
Board, but no complaints have been received. The surface
water drainage is conveyed to Pymmes Brook by several brooklets.
These are constantly inspected and kept free from objectionable
matter.