Supply of Water to the Metropolis. 263 



this power may be limited, or by what circumstances it is in- 

 fluenced, we recommend them most seriously to investigate 

 and consider. 



But, secondly, it must be admitted, that the water is also 

 frequently sent into the houses in a very objectionable state, 

 extremely turbid, abounding in shrimps, worms, and other 

 aquatic insects. Here is the grievance; people are dis- 

 gusted at seeing live animals twisting about the bottoms of 

 their pitchers ; and the diffused mud gradually subsiding, 

 fouls the cisterns, in which, if not repeatedly cleaned, it soon 

 constitutes a most annoying deposite ; it is necessarily stirred 

 up and diffused whenever the water comes in, and often putre- 

 fies, rendering the whole contents of the cistern fetid and un- 

 wholesome. All this the Company allow ; but they tell us, 

 that the cisterns should be frequently cleansed : but this is 

 often no easy operation ; it is requisite at least once a month, 

 and is constantly leading to the disturbance of water-closet 

 machinery, and other expensive inconveniences. Besides, 

 many cisterns are not easily accessible. We also must here beg 

 leave to remark, that if the Company did their duty towards 

 the public, they never would throw in their water, thus loaded 

 with mechanical impurities ; they would make such arrange- 

 ments of reservoirs, as might enable them to supply such 

 water only as had completely clarified itself by deposition, 

 and we should then suffer so little inconvenience from sedi- 

 ments in cisterns, that an annual cleansing would probably be 

 sufficient. 



This grand desideratum we are happy to say the Company 

 promise to effect, as will be seen in one of our preceding quo- 

 tations from their ** Circular ;" and if they keep their promise, 

 and we see no reason why they should not, we are convinced 

 that the majority of their unprejudiced opponents will with- 

 draw from the field. 



But there are certain theoretical ultra-chemists who tell us 

 that all such precautions go but little way to amend the mis- 

 chief ; and that though mechanically suspended impurities may 

 be separated by subsidence and filtration, the matters which- 

 are actually dissolved in the water can never be got rid of by 

 any such operation : they then go on to represent the horrible 



