OF HARD AND SOFT "WATER. Ill 



probably have to be employed owing to the small extent of space 

 available, unless the waterworks were removed from their present 

 situation. 



We may fairly presume that in such a town as Watford, where 

 no appreciable quantity of water is required for manufacturing 

 purposes ^except by brewers, who have their own wells), 30 gallons 

 per head per diem, with a constant supply, which it ought to be 

 made compulsory for all towns to be provided with, would be ample. 

 This is about 11,000 gallons per head per annum, the cost of 

 softening which, at ^d. per 1,000 gallons, including materials, 

 labour, depreciation of plant, and interest on outlay, would be 5\d., 

 or we may say, in order to leave a margin for contingencies, 6d. 

 It is a difficult matter to estimate the saving which the use of 

 the softened water would occasion. The estinaated saving at the 

 Darenth Asylum and Schools, due to the introduction, in 1887, 

 of softening-plant, is stated to have been, up to December, 1892, 

 at the rate of nearly 10s. jjer head per annum, the number of 

 inmates being about 1,800. interest on plant does not, however, 

 appear to have been allowed for. In his Report to the Metropolitan 

 Asylums Eoard, after the first twelve months of working the 

 process, the Steward pointed out that in addition to this saving 

 the wear and tear on the linen had been greatly reduced by its being 

 washed in softened water. A large proportion of the saving here 

 is due to reduced wear and tear of steam-boilers, and of steam and 

 hot-water pipes, which are not used in an ordinary household, and 

 therefore the average saving throughout a town is not likely to be 

 so great as it is in such a public institution as this. Even if about 

 half as much, say 5s. per head per annum, it would represent at 

 least £4,200 per annum for the town of Watford. 



The advantages so far considered have all been in favour of soft 

 water, or of softened water ; and there is one other advantage in 

 the softening of water by the lime-process. Organic and other 

 impurities are thrown down with the chalk, and thus the water 

 is purified as well as softened. (See Table IV, p. 115.) 



And not only is this the case, but the softening of the water 

 appears to render it less liable to become contaminated by con- 

 fervoid growths. In a Report to the Canterbury Gas and W^ater 

 Company, Mr. S. C. Homersham said : " Spring water, when softened, 

 may be kept in open reservoirs exposed to the air, light, and sun, 

 without becoming covered on its surface with vegetation as the 

 hard water does which issues from a chalk spring ; for such water, 

 though naturally free fi'om organic matter, has a source of con- 

 tamination within itself. AVhen exposed to air, light, and sun, 

 more especially in warm weather, the duplicate dose of carbonic 

 acid that keeps the chalk dissolved gives rise to masses of vege- 

 tation that float in the water. Such masses (Confervse) soon grow, 

 soon become corrupt, soon give forth an offensive marshy odour, 

 and become the habitat of animalcules and other living organisms 

 that permeate and contaminate the water." (Quoted in ' Sixth 

 Report of the Rivers Pollution Commission,' p. 210.) Whether 



