406 Report of the Commissioners on the 



could be completed, to investigate the important subject referred 

 to us. The circumstances which prevented our meeting for the 

 purpose of that inquiry until December last are stated in our cor- 

 respondence with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 

 which is contained in the Appendix to this report. From the 

 terms of our commission, and from the tenor of the petitions of 

 the inhabitants of the western portion of the Metropolis, and of 

 the Borough of Southwark, to both Houses of Parliament, re- 

 ferred to our consideration, praying for an inquiry into the quality 

 of the water furnished by the Water Companies, and into the 

 means of procuring an effectual and permanent supply of pure and 

 wholesome water, as well as from the communications with his 

 Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, 

 it appeared that our attention was required to be directed to three 

 principal points ; namely, first, to ascertain the sources and means 

 by which the Metropolis is supplied with water, and their efficiency 

 as to the quantity supplied ; secondly, to determine the quality of 

 the water ; and, thirdly, to obtain such information as might en- 

 able us, if necessary, to suggest new methods or sources of supply ^ 

 or to point out the means of ameliorating those now in existence. 

 But having since learned, by a recent communication from his 

 Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department,, 

 that our inquiry is to be limited to the description, the quality, 

 and the salubrity of the water, and that we are not called upon 

 either to consider new and more eligible sources of supply, or to 

 suggest plans for the improvement of those already existing, we 

 have agreed upon the following report, respecting the two former 

 subjects. 



In investigating the supply of water in respect to quantity , we 

 proceeded, in the first instance, to collect the requisite information 

 as to the powers and resources of the different water-companies 

 upon the north side of the Thames ; first procuring evidence from 

 the companies themselves as to the extent and facilities of their 

 supplies, and afterwards checking such evidence by collateral tes- 

 timony from other witnesses, and occasionally by personal exami- 

 nation into the facts. 



The supply of this, the most extensive portion of the Metro- 

 polis, is dependent upon five companies, which, arranged in the 

 order of the number of tenants they serve, and nearly in that of 

 the quantity of water which they respectively furnish^ stand as 

 follows : — 



The New River, 



The East London, 



The West Middlesex, 



The Chelsea, and 



The Grand Junction Companies. 

 Of these companies, the New River derives its principal sup- 

 plies of water from a spring at Chadwell, between Hertford and 

 Ware, and about twenty-one miles north of London; and also 



