Supply of Water to the Metropolis, 407 



from an arm of the river Lea, the source of which is near the 

 Chadwell spring, in the proportion of about two thirds from the 

 former, and one third from the latter. These united waters arc 

 conducted by an artificial channel nearly forty miles in length, to 

 four reservoirs, called the New River Head, at Clerkenwell ; pro- 

 per means being adopted to prevent the ingress offish and weeds, 

 and such arrangements being made in respect to the mains as to 

 prevent interruption of service in case of repairs. Since, however, 

 the abandonment of the London bridge, and of the York Buildings 

 water-works, whose former districts are now supplied by the New 

 River Company, they have found it advisable to erect an engine at 

 Broken Wharf, Thames-street, by which they are enabled occa- 

 sionally to supply parts of their district with Thames water, when, 

 from long-continued droughts, severe frosts, or other accidental 

 causes, the flow of the New River is impeded. It appears, how- 

 ever, that the quantity of Thames water thus supplied bears a very 

 trifling proportion to the other source, the engine at Broken Wharf 

 having been worked for seventy-six hours only, in January and 

 February of last year, and for one hundred hours during the 

 drought of July and August. The number of tenants supplied by 

 the New River Company is between 66,000 and 67,000, and the 

 quantity of water which is daily supplied exceeds 13,000,000 

 gallons, being about 2,000,000 cubic feet. 



The East London water-works are situated at Old Ford, on the 

 river Lea 3 but as the tide of the Thames flows up that river to 

 the extent of a mile beyond the works, and as their supplies are 

 taken during the ascending tide, the description of water thus fur- 

 nished will closely approximate to that of the Thames. This com- 

 pany has four reservoirs j the number of tenants supplied amounts 

 to about 42,000, and the daily consumption of water to nearly 

 6,000,000 gallons, or about 950,000 cubic feet. 



The West Middlesex water-works are upon the banks of the 

 Thames, at the upper end of Hammersmith, and draw water ex- 

 clusively from that river, opposite to the works. They have two 

 reservoirs, one at Kensington and one at Little Primrose Hill, 

 which are supplied by the engines at Hammersmith, and they 

 serve about 15,000 tenants. The average daily consumption of 

 water is 2,250,000 gallons, or about 360,000 cubic feet. 



The Chelsea water-works are upon the banks of the river, 

 about a quarter of a mile east of Chelsea Hospital ; and their 

 supplies are derived entirely from the Thames, opposite to their 

 works. They have two reservoirs, one in Hyde Park, and one in 

 the Green Park, close to Piccadilly. They supply about 12,400 

 houses ; the average daily supply to the whole being about 

 1,760,000 gallons, or nearly 282,000 cubic feet. 



The works of the Grand Junction Company are also at Chelsea, 

 immediately adjacent to, and east of the Hospital. They derive 

 the whole of their supply of water from the river Thames, with 

 which they fill three reservoirs situated at Paddington ) and from 



