[Report 1933] / Medical Officer of Health, Chelmsford Borough.

  • Chelmsford (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1933
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1933] / Medical Officer of Health, Chelmsford Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/52 (page 18)
    Analyses of the crude water from all three river sources have been taken at intervals. These show the River Can to be good, the Wid fair, and the Chel- mer bad. The cause of the pollution of the Chelmer is undoubtedly the effluent from the Sugar Beet Factory at Felstead. The authority responsible for the purity of rivers is the Essex County Council, and I have been in touch with them and also the managers of the factory, and although the problem of purification is a very difficult one, I hope to be able to report a definite improvement in the near future. (b) Quantity, The Borough has been exceptionally fortunate in that during the long drought of 1933, the quantity of the water available has been ample. I am indebted to the Water Engineer, Mr. G. W. Smith, for the following details as to the extensions of the water supply carried out during 1933 :— “ (1) A ten inch gravitation main has been laid from Longstomps Reservoir to the Boarded Barns Housing Estate. This main also su])plies water to Admiral’s Park Tower, but does not serve any district en route from Longstomps. (2) A steel water tower has been erected on Longstomps Reservoir site, of 32,000 gallons capacity. These two developments should provide an ample water supply to the high parts of the Borough. Springfield Ward was, until 1933, completely supplied by the Chelmsford R.D.C. from their Baddow Road Tower. In May, 1933, that part of Springfield Ward south of Sandford Road was taken over by my Department. The supply from Baddow Road Tower has thus been reduced 50 per cent. At Sandford Mill Waterworks a standby plant has been installed in a new engine house. This plant consists of one 185 B.H.P. 5-cylinder heavy oil engine and drives the existing Duplex horizontal ram pump. The supply during the past summer rose to the highest peak yet recorded, viz., 877,000 gallons per day for the months of August and September. This was due to the exceptionally dry weather experienced and the growth of the town. The percentage supplied from each of the sources is as follows :— Admiral’s Park Tower, 16.5% ; R.D.C., Springfield, 3%; Boarded Barns Estate Well, 2% ; Sandford Mill, 51%. This leaves a remaining 27.5% of which Galley wood Pumping Station sup})lies 8.5% and Mildmay Road 19%.