PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 147 



off what may be called a clean country, so far as sewage 

 is concerned, appears to bear a high proportion to that 

 contained in all the sewage that finds its way into the 

 Severn. It may be said that the danger does not lie in 

 quantity of organic material, but in the hkehhood of the 

 water containing the bacteria of disease ; but the answer 

 may be given that a sluggish water containing a permanent 

 amount of decomposable impurity is more Hkely to breed 

 disease bacteria than a water as naturally pure as the fast- 

 flowing Severn. There would be more danger in using 

 the water of the comparatively stagnant river Avon for 

 a drinking supply, though it should be proved that it 

 receive no sewage from any town upon it than to use 

 the water of the Severn with all its known pollutions. 



The Rivers Pollution Prevention Act 



You have heard that Worcester has been ordered to 

 desist from pouring its raw sewage into the river. Under 

 the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act, which dates from so 

 long ago as 1876, all the towns on the Severn can be com- 

 pelled to the same course as is Worcester. All that is 

 required is for some person, or corporate body to cause 

 the Act to be put in force. Possibly some one will 

 put the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act into force against 

 those towns now carelessly pouring their pollutions into 

 the Severn. 



The Quality of the Water in the Severn 

 and its chief tributaries 



I have appended to this paper tables of the analyses I 

 have made of the water of the Severn and its chief tribu- 

 taries, and the results are interesting as showing the 

 changes that take place in the composition of the water 

 of the main river during its flow from Llanidloes to 

 Tewkesburv. The river, which, at its commencement, 



