436 



CONTRIBUTION TO THE BACTERIAL FLORA OF 

 THE SYDNEY WATER SUPPLY, I. 



By R. Gtreig Smith, M.Sc, Macleay Bacteriologist to the 

 Society. 



As far as I am aware, the only paper that has been published 

 dealing with the bacterial flora of the Sydney water supply was 

 contributed by Katz to these Proceedings in 1886. At that 

 time bacteriology was beginning to perfect its methods of tech- 

 nique, and it is to be regretted that the five organisms in the 

 paper are not sufficiently described to enable them to be diagnosed 

 with any degree of certainty. It therefore seemed to the writer 

 that a paper or a series of papers upon the bacterial flora of the 

 Sydney water might be of interest to the Society. 



The bacteria which will be hereafter described were obtained 

 from the tap-water in the Society's Bacteriological Laboratory, 

 which is supplied directly from one of the city reservoirs in 

 Centennial Park, into which it is pumped from the central 

 pumping station and reservoir in Crown Street. The water is 

 originally taken from the Nepean, Cordeaux and Cataract rivers, 

 the catchment area of which covers 345 square miles. From the 

 rivers it is conducted by a series of tunnels and open canals to 

 Prospect reservoir, thence by open canal and pipes to Pott's Hill 

 reservoir, where it is screened through a series of fine sieves 

 (840 meshes to the inch). From this reservoir it is led through 

 iron pipes to Crown Street, whence it is pumped to the various 

 city reservoirs. The water is not filtered, but care is taken to 

 safeguard the purity of the supply by the rigid and continual 

 inspection of settlements and stock within the catchment area 

 and adjoining the reservoirs. 



