No. 2.] EDWARDS — WATER ANALYSIS. 91 



It would thus appear that Ottawa water ranks very high in 

 purity as compared with the average water suppHes of Great 

 Britain even after filtration, and that, while this mode of addi- 

 tional precaution is open to the private consumer and is of the 

 most serious importance in the prevention of disease, it is an 

 open question as to how this can be best conducted in this 

 country so as to be of general advantage, and it appears to me 

 that (considering the exigencies in c:ise of fire, the variability of 

 climate, the severity of winter, and other considerations incidental 

 to this country.) for the water impurities, present filtration is 

 the only remedy, and household filtration the only practical 

 remedy. I have tiierefore to recommend a plan of general house- 

 hold filtration which should be generally adopted and made com- 

 pulsory on all water companies, in which water should be filtered 

 from the main supply into houses or tenements or streets, and 

 that taxes should be imposed for the use of filters as for the use 

 of gas meters, added to the consumer's account on a pro rata 

 basis. This project, I think, would prove effectual, and I hope 

 may be found practical, and thus remove one of the many public 

 grievances from the municipal shoulders of the corporate bodies 

 of Canada. 



On referring to the water analyses whicli I reported on the 

 Montreal supply in 1879, and applying to these results the table 

 of valuation, I find that notwithstanding the including of matters 

 in suspension, Montreal water stands high by comparison. Thus, 



March 1st, standard of impurity 11 -5 



April 21st, » " '•• lG-5 



July 30th, " " 15-5 



Montreal water would therefore be exceptionally pure under 

 such a system of filtration as I have suggested. That this is 

 not Utopian is, I tliink, proved by the fact that several modes of 

 filtration have been patented which have considerable merit and 

 one or other of which might be adapted to larger or small rates 

 of filtration with satisfactory results. 



That a simple flannel bag or felt filter is capable of removing a 

 large quantity of the most objectionable kind of floating animal 

 and vegetable matter is shown by the quantity removed in the 

 flannel bag now exhibited, which has been in use for two days 

 only over the supply pipe of the Parliament buildings at Ottawa, 

 and which has removed upwards of four ounces of debris, river 

 mud and vegetable matter, more than a score of snails, besides 



