Metropolis water supply. Report of Thomas Telford ... February 1834, on the means of supplying the Metropolis with pure water.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons
Date:
[1834]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Metropolis water supply. Report of Thomas Telford ... February 1834, on the means of supplying the Metropolis with pure water. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/38 (page 2)
    REPORT Of Thomas Telford, Civil Engineer, February 1834, on the Means of supplying the Metropolis with Pure Water. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF HIS MAJESTY’S TREASURY. HAVING received directions from the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s. Treasury to report upon the means of supplying the Metropolis with Pure Water, I immediately proceeded in the investigation of this important object, and after extensive and repeated surveys, and much consideration, beg leave to make the following Report:— The Water of the river Thames being strongly objected to by the inhabitants of this great city, and also condemned in the Report of the Commissioners of Water Inquiry [See Report, 21 April 1828, p. 11 *], in consequence of the impurities with which it is contaminated ; I therefore perambulated the district on each side of the valley of the Thames, and examined the streams which fall into that river in the vicinitv of London. In' the result I found an abundance of pure, transparent water, within the distance of 16 miles on the North, amply sufficient for the supply of three of the present Water Companies on that side of the Thames; and within io miles on the South, I found as ample a supply for the three Waterwork Companies on the South side, of the River, at a sufficient elevation for both high and low services, without having recourse to filtration, or indeed to pumping, except for a small portion of the high services. The circumstances of the two Companies supplied with water from the valley of the river Lea, require to be spoken of separately. What relates to the Compa¬ nies which supply water to the North-western parts of the Metropolis shall first be discussed : these are, the West Middlesex, the Grand Junction, and the Chelsea Companies. From information obtained by the Commissioners of Inquiry in 1828, the daily supply of water, on an average throughout the year, afforded by each Company, was as follows: The Grand Junction West Middlesex Chelsea 2,800,000 gallons. 2,250,000 - 1,760,000 - In all - - - 6,810,000 gallons, or 1,089,600 cubic feet per day, equal to 78,819 gallons, or (nearly) 13 cubic feet per second. At the town of Uxbridge, the whole of the river which passes that place is called the Colne, with which a considerable stream, called the Chesham, forms a junction at Rickmansworth : proceeding upwards, between Rickmansworth and Watford, the westerly branch occupies the Berkhampstead Valley, and the eastern branch, called the Verulam, a transparent stream, occupies the St. Alban’s Valley; and about half-way between St. Alban’s and Watford, the Colne joins the Verulam; but, unless after heavy rains, the Colne is an insignificant stream, and at such times very • * “ Taking into consideration the various circumstances to which we have now adverted, together •with the details of evidence by which they were proved and illustrated, and also the facts derived from our own observation and experience, we are of opinion, that the present state of the supply of water to the Metropolis is susceptible of, and requires improvement ;*that many of the complaints respecting the supply of water are well founded, and that it ought to be derived from other sources than those now resorted to, and guarded by such restrictions as shall at all times ensure its cleanliness and pui ity.”