19 
THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES OF WEST 
CUMBERLAND. 
By ARCHIBALD KITCHIN, F.I.C., F.C.S., &c. 
(Read at the Workington Annual Meeting. ) 
In these days of sanitary reform, the eyes of all classes of society 
are being slowly opened to the fact, that health depends, in no 
small degree, on the purity of the water they drink. 
I am happy to say, that we in West Cumberland are fully 
cognizant of this very important truth; and our local authorities 
have not been behind-hand in utilising those vast natural resources 
of singularly pure water, which are situated so near to us. 
The object of this paper is, to give a brief description of the 
various Public Water Supplies of West Cumberland, and to place 
before you the results of the analyses of the waters. 
The number of towns, or districts, in the western division of our 
county, which possess public water supplies, are eight, namely :— 
Whitehaven, Workington, Cockermouth, Maryport, Keswick, 
Millom, Cleator Moor, and Arlecdon. The works for the last 
named district are, however, not yet completed. For the following 
description of the sources of the various supplies, I am largely 
indebted to Mr. Pickering of Whitehaven. 
WHITEHAVEN.—The Whitehaven water is brought, by gravitation, 
from Ennerdale Lake, which is nine-and-a-half miles distant from 
