408 Heport of the Commissioners on the 



these their district is served. The number of their tenants does 

 not appear to exceed 7700 ; but their daily consumption of water 

 is about 2,800,000 gallons, or upwards of 450,000 cubic feet. 



It appears from this statement that the portion of the town upon 

 the north side of the river Thames, including the cities of Lon- 

 don and Westminster, is supplied daily with a quantity of water 

 amounting to nearly 26,000,000 gallons, and that the total 

 number of houses and buildings receiving this supply amounts 

 to about 144,000. The water is, of course, very unequally distri- 

 buted, the average consumption in each house being apparently 

 greatest in the district supplied by the Grand Junction company, 

 where it amounts to about 363 gallons daily per house. Taking 

 the average of the whole supply, the daily consumption of each 

 house is about 180 gallons. Of this water, more than one half 

 of which is derived from the Thames, a large portion is delivered 

 at very considerable elevations above the level of the river, con- 

 stituting what is called high service; for which purpose fifteen 

 steam-engines are employed, exerting a power of about 1105 

 horses. 



It is obvious, from the above statement, that the quantity of 

 water supplied in London and Westminster is abundant; and in 

 our examinations of individuals touching the quality of the water, 

 we have in no instance met with complaints of deficiency in quan- 

 tity. We have reason to believe that the hospitals, workhouses, 

 and other similar establishments, where an abundance of water is 

 an essential requisite, are in all cases duly supplied ; and upon the 

 important subject of supply in case of fire, oi^r evidence leads us 

 to believe that of late it has always been ample, and that when 

 not immediately procured, the fault has lain with the turncocks; 

 for among other advantages of the reservoirs annexed to the 

 Works upon the Middlesex side of the river, is that of having at 

 command a large head of water, by which the mains are kept full, 

 and in many districts are under considerable pressure. The supply 

 of a large quantity of water upon any sudden emergency is thus 

 ensured ; and among other great advantages arising out of the 

 substitution of iron for wooden mains, is that of their sustaining 

 the pressure of a column of water which it would have been im- 

 possible, in the former state of the works, to have commanded. 



As far, therefore, as regards the description and quantity of 

 water supplied to the Cities of London and Westminster, it ap- 

 pears that more than half the consumption is derived from the 

 Thames, and that it is in such abundance as not only to supply all 

 necessary demands upon ordinary and extraordinary occasions, but 

 that a proportion is constantly suffered to run to waste, by which 

 the cleansing of the drains of houses and of the common sewers is 

 effectually accomplished, all accumulations of filth obviated, and 

 the general healthiness of the metropolis promoted. 



We next proceeded to examine into the supply of water to those 

 parts of the metropolis situated yppn th^ gouth side pf \\\e fiver. 



