Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the township of Bishop Auckland in the county of Durham / by Thomas Webster Rammell, Superintending Inspector.

  • Rammell, Thomas Webster
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the township of Bishop Auckland in the county of Durham / by Thomas Webster Rammell, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    reduced to 17£ degrees by boiling, without evaporation, and to 7 degrees by removing the lime. The residue left by evaporation was brownish in colour, and burnt with a peaty smell. No. Nl.—Etherby Spring. This water was nearly clear, became quite so by filtering away the floating particles of peat; had a slight brownish tint and peaty ' Tests showed the presence of sulphates and chlorides in large quantity, a little carbonic acid, and much lime. Left a brownish residue on evaporation, which burnt with peaty smell. Its hardness was 18 degrees, reduced by boiling without evapo- ration to 14 degrees, and by removing the lime to 2 degrees. No. VII.—Newgate End. The water was discoloured, had large quantities of peat, both suspended and dissolved, had dark brown tinge and boggy taste. Tests showed the presence of sulphate of lime in large quantity, and chlorides and carbonates in small quantity. Its hardness was 11^ degrees, reduced by boiling to 11 degrees, and by removing the lime to half a degree. It left, on evapora- tion, a black residue, which burnt with peaty smell. No. VHI.—Hodgson's Well. The water was rather turbid, had a brownish tinge, and slight peaty taste. Became clear by filtration, but was still tinted, and the residue left on evaporation was brownish, and burnt with peaty smell. Test showed the presence of sulphates, chlorides, and car- bonates, all in considerable quantity ; also lime and magnesia. Its hardness was above 40 degrees, reduced by removing the lime to 11^ degrees. No. IX.—Bowser's Well. This water was bright and clear, except a few floating particles of peat, and a very slight brownish tinge, hardly enough to be objectionable. Tests showed the presence of sulphates, chlorides, and car- bonates, all in considerable quantities ; also lime and magnesia, It left, on evaporation, a brownish residue, which burnt with a slight peaty smell. Its hardness was 36 degrees, reduced by boiling to 10 degrees, and by removing the lime to 8^- degrees. None of these specimens of water, except perhaps the first (that from the River Weir) are such as should be recommended for a town supply. They all contain peaty matter in solution, those in which it is small in quantity are very hard, those which are not too hard for economical use being unfit for a town supply, because of the large quantity of vegetable matter in solution. Neither of these objections apply to the water of the Weir, if it can always be obtained in the state of the specimen sent, but before it is definitely determined to obtain a supply from that river, a larger quantity of its water should be sent for more exact examination. [88] B