[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon].

  • Coulsdon and Purley (London, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
[1957?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    As contaminated water can cause disease, all the water is now chlorinated to destroy any harmful organisms and the public supply softened to about a half its original hardness, mainly for economic reasons. Routine samples of the treated water in public supply were submitted quarterly for bacteriological and chemical examination. In addition, six further samples were obtained for various reasons, making 22 samples in all. In addition, both the Water Companies and the Local Authorities sharing these public supplies provided the Department with copies of the reports on the samples taken by them. No complaints were received during the year with regard to the quality or quantity of water supplied by the Companies. Only one un satisfactory report was received and that on a bacteriological sample the defect in which was attributed to the use by the con sumer of an obsolete water softener, which was subsequently abolished on the advice of the Department. Forty-eight samples were taken from the supplies of the two Companies and examined for hardness by the Department, all of which were satisfactory in that adequate softening had been carried out as required by Statute. Typical chemical and bacteriological reports on the Com panies' water as in public supply are available on request. Coming from deep wells in the chalk the fluoride content is low. The Cane Hill Hospital Management Committee has made arrangements with the Public Health Department of the London County Council for routine sampling and supervision of the water supply from the relatively shallow well in their grounds, which is used exclusively by this Hospital. Adequate chlorination is essen tial and steps have been taken to ensure this and to effect closer co-operation between the officers of the three authorities interested in the standard of this supply. It appears opportune to record here that the rainfall registered by the automatic rain gauge installed at Alderstead Heath, was 2917 inches in 1956, this being an increase of 0-41 inches com pared with the previous year. The monthly totals throughout the year were as follows ] inches January 4.57 February 0.49 March 0.86 April 2.12 May 0.39 June 3.10 July 4.72 August 3.39 September 2.95 October 1.57 November 0 96 December 4.05 RAINFALL. 46