SESSION 1894-95. xlix 



2. "The Eolativo Advantages of Hard and Soft Water, witli 

 Special Reference to the Supply of Watford." Bv John Hopkinson, 

 P.L.S., F.G.S., F.R.Met.Soc. {Trausacfions, Vol. VllI, p. 101.) 

 A discussion ensued, of which the following; is an abstract : — 

 The Chairman (Professor Axtfield) said that he need scarcely 

 remind the members of the Society that our country was often 

 caUed Albion because of the whiteness of its cliffs, which served 

 to draw their attention to the facts that limestone, either chalk, 

 or the harder varieties of limestone, constitutes the greater part 

 of oiu' island, and that falling- rain, always dissolving a certain 

 amount of chalk, they got hard water; hence that every town 

 on chalk or limestone was immensely interested in the possible 

 artificial softening of its water. Watford, being directly on 

 the Chalk, was not the least interested. Its water had a very 

 considerable degree of hardness, and therefore Watford could well 

 discuss the question as to whether its natural supply of hard 

 water should be softened or not. To begin with, they must 

 go to experts to know something about the softening of the 

 water, and to know something about the cause of the hardness. 

 Secondly, they must know whether the hardness could be 

 reduced. Thirdly, how? And fourthly, at what cost? Dr. 

 King and Mr. Hopkinson had given what in his humble opinion 

 was a very good resHme of all these data, and for their carefulness 

 and the time they had occupied in doing that, and the judgment 

 they had evinced in the doing of it, he thought, and he was sure 

 they all would think, that they deserved their thanks. As to 

 the questions which the inhabitants of Watford would look 

 to scientific men to give them information upon, in order that 

 they might discuss them from their economical and financial point 

 of view, the first had been answered. It was possible for the 

 water to be softened, and the chemistry of the matter generally 

 was not a question for discussion at that meeting ; it had all been 

 settled long ago, and was now being practically carried out in 

 such towns as Canterbury and Southampton, and in some seven 

 or eight other prominent towns, to say nothing of the work which 

 was done in the Colne Valley Waterworks close by. A question 

 which had been put to him within the last three or four days was, 

 "What do we all mean by hard and soft water?" That had 

 been partly answered that night as to the cause of the hardness 

 and softness. Professor Attfield then alluded to the difference 

 felt between hard and soft water in washing the hands, and said 

 that another question which had been put to him as a chemist 

 for the hundredth time was a question relating to the difference 

 between lime and chalk. He was afraid that unless the inquirers 

 had the rudiments of chemistry within them nothing would 

 make the thing perfectly clear. Having explained the mingling 

 together of carbonic acid and lime in the formation of chalk, he 

 pointed out that there was only one practical way of softening 

 the water, as had been shown by the authors of the papers. He 

 supposed the town would look to its engineer to explain whether 



