46 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[FEBRirARY, 



Bridge wator-wlieels, the two works were consolidated, \inder the 

 ii;mie of the Southwiirk Water-works, and became the properly of 

 John Edwards, Esq. 



Previous to 175(3 works were established at Rotherhithe, The 

 water was raised by a water-wheel, which was worked by tide water, 

 collected in the ditches and ponds in the neighbourhood, and kept in 

 until the falling uf tlie tide, when it was let out again into the river, 

 and in its course turned the water-wheel ; it supplied the neighbour- 

 hood plentifully through two li-inch mains. 



Previous to the year 17lj7 works were established at Lee Bridge, 

 ujion the river Lee, worked by a water-wheel, for the supply of Hack- 

 ney and Clapton ; they were called the Hackney Water-works, and in 

 182it, after which period they became the property of the East London 

 Water-works Company, they raised about 6UU,UU0 barrels per annum 

 for the supply of about t5UU families. 



In I7S5 the Lambeth Water-works were established by act of Par- 

 liament 25th of George IIL, to supply the district upon the south side 

 of the Thames, exclusive of the parishes of St. Georgg's and St. Sa- 

 ^■iour's Southwark. The water was raised from the Thames near 

 Waterloo Bridge by steam-engines. 



From the year 18UU to the present date, the following works have 

 been established : 



In 1S05 tlie South London Water-works were established by act of 

 Parliament' 45th of George Hi., to supply the district on the south 

 side of the Thames not already supplied by the Lambeth and South- 

 wark Water-works. The works are at Vauxhall. 



In ISOti the West Middlesex Water-works were established by act 

 of Parliament 40th of George III. The works are at Hammersmith, 

 and they supply Hammersmith, Kensington, Paddington, and Mary- 

 lebone. 



In 1807 the East London Water-works were established by act of 

 Parliament 47th of George III. ; they have works at Old Ford, which 

 is iheir chief station for the supply of the eastern parts of the metro- 

 polis. They have purchased the Shadwell, West Ham, and Hackney 

 Water-works, and have works and machinery for raising water at 

 .Stratford and Lee Bi'idge. Objections having been made in 1828 to 

 the source from whence they raised their water, it being asserted that 

 as the tide affected the river Lee in that part, the water " partook of 

 the nature of Thames water," the Company, to remove all doubts, 

 obtained parliamentary powers in 1S20 to change the source of supply, 

 and, according to the powers granted, they have, at an expense of 

 nearly 8U,U0Ci/., constructed reservoirs and a canal for the purpose of 

 bringing water from a jiart of the river Lee which is far above the 

 influence of the tide ; so that now the water raised at Old Ford is Lee 

 IValcr only. I mention this more jiarticularly because it has been 

 erroneously asserted that Thames water is supplied by this Company. 



In IblO the Grand Junction Water-works Company was esfablisheil 

 by act of Parliament the 51st of George III. This Company first sup- 

 ])lied water from the Grand Junction Canal ; this supply was not only 

 limited, but was also objected to by some of the tenantry, who pre- 

 ferred Thames water : the works were accordingly rcnio\ed to the 

 banks of the Thames at Chelsea. This Company together with the 

 West Middlesex and Chelsea Water-works Companies supply the 

 western parts of the metropolis. 



It appears lliat, in the Jinl instance, when it was necessary to bring 

 water from a distance, the Corpoi-ation were the chief promoters of 

 all schemes for better supplying London; and never more so, than 

 when they granted a lease of the London Bridge arches to Peter 

 M-aurice at a nondnal rent; but it is probable that this supply never 

 exceeded six millions of imperial barrels per annum — not 2 per cent, 

 of the present supply. 



Afterwards Sir Hugh Myddleton executed the plan for bringing the 

 greatest supply to London ; he was, however, ruined, the undertaking 

 being too extensive for an individual. 



And at last several wealthy men joineil together, and subscribed 

 money sufficient to execute large plans for eflieiently supplying every 

 portion of the metrojjolis, which is now most abundantly supplied w ith 

 good water at the rate of |ths of a farthing for an imperial barrel, or 3() 

 gallons, which is the amount received by the Water Companies for 

 every barrel they distribute, according to the parliamentary returns. 

 This abundant supply is continued through the night, to be used in 

 case of tires happening. 



In some of the suburbs of London water is still supplied by carriers. 

 Where it is carried in buckets from wells, it is sold at the rate of brf. 

 per barrel, or 42 times as nuich ;is when supplied by machinery ; and 

 when it is carted from the river, at -Irf. per barrel, or 21 times more 

 than machinery. As it is more than probable that it could not be sold 

 at a cheaper rate in ancient times, the advantages obtained by the 

 introduction of machinery will appear very great. 



hx uddition to the works before mentioned, there are the Kent and 



the Hampstead Water-works. The Kent Water-works are situated 

 ujjon the River Ravensbourne at Deptford. The machinery consists 

 of a water-wlieel and two steam-engines. The water from this river 

 is supplied chiefly to Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich and Rother- 

 hithe : these works are scarcely considered metropolitan. 



The Hampstead Works are small ; they are the same that have 

 been mentioned before, and are the most ancient of any of the existing 

 works. In 1803 the New River Company supplied the tenantry. 



Present SnpiAy of Water to the Metropolis. 



According to the report of the Select Committee of the House of 

 Commons in 1834, the cjuantity of water raised by the eight metro- 

 politan water-works in the year 1833 was equal to 3.57,288,807 im- 

 perial barrels ; the number of houses supplied was 191,0G(J, and the 

 average daily supply was above 35 millions of gallons, or 183 gallons 

 per house upon the average. 



Tlie following detailed accoimt is taken from the Parliamentary 

 Reports : 



The New River Water-works supplied in 1833, 171,975,000 im- 

 perial barrels of water, 21 millions of which were raised by machinery 

 GO feet above the level of the New River Head, the remainder sup- 

 plied by the river, which is 84 feet above the level of the Thames, a 

 sufficient elevation to supply Jths of the New River district without 

 the aid of steam or other power. The number of houses supplied 

 was 70,145; the capital expended from the commencement of' the 

 works has been 1,11G,0G4/. ; the rental received from the houses sup- 

 plied with water amounted to 98,307/., and from lands and houses 

 GGOl/., or a total income of 104,909/.; the expenditure was G],1G3/., 

 leaving 43,74G/. to be divided, or not quite 4 per cent, upon the 

 capital. These works supply the greatest number of houses. 



The East London Water-works rank next to the New River Water- 

 works ; the quantity of water supplied by them in 1833 was equal to 

 56,715,890 imperial barrels, all raised by machinery, under an average 

 pressure of about 110 feet: the ninnber of houses supplied was 

 4G,42 1 ; the capital expended from the commencement of the works 

 has been 594,988/. ; the gross rental was 53,0G1/. ; 22,1GG/. was di- 

 vided, not 3? per cent, upon the capital. 



The Lambeth Water-works supplied 17,997,903 imperial barrels in 

 1833, all raised by machinery ; the number of houses supplied was 

 1G,G82 ; the capital expended from the commencement of the works 

 has been l!52,553/. ; the gross rental was 11,808/. ; and 3,840/. was 

 divided, not 2i per cent, upon the capital. 



The West MidiUesex Water-works supplied in 1833, 30,000,000 

 imperial barrels, all raised by machinery ; the number of houses sup- 

 plied was 1G,000 ; the capital expended from the connnencenient of 

 the works has been 404,2G3/. ; the gross rental was 45,500/.; their 

 shares are valued at GS/. 8s. dd., and 3/. per share was divided, less 

 than 4i per cent, upon the shares, but more than G per cent, upon the 

 capital expended. 



The Chelsea Water-works supplied in 1833, 23,629,500 imperial 

 barrels, all raised by machinery ; the number of houses supplied was 

 13,892 ; the capital expended from the commencement of the works 

 has been 271,311/. ; the gross rental was 22,906/.; 4,800/. was di- 

 vided, or 1 j per cent, upon the capital. 



The South London Water-works supplied about 12, 1G6,GGG imperial 

 barrels in 1833; the number of houses supplied was 12,016; the 

 capital expended from the commencement of the works lias been 

 245,306/. ; the average per share was about 245/., and they were last 

 sold at 85/. per share ; the gross rental was 8,839/. 



The Grand Junction Water-works supplied 32,553,850 imperial 

 barrels in 1833 ; the number of houses supplied was 8,780 ; the capital 

 expended from the commencement of the works has been 331,174/.; 

 the gross rental was 26,154/. ; dividend rather more than 4 per cent. 



The Southwark Water-works supplied 12,250,000 barrels in 1833; 

 the number of houses supplied was 7,100; the capital expended since 

 1823, when the Old Borough and London Bridge works were consoli- 

 dated, has been 25,000/. ; the works belong to private individuals, 

 who state that the Borough Wafer-works did not pay 1 per cent, and 

 the London Bridge never more than 3 per cent. 



The whole capital expended since the establishment of these water- 

 works has been 3,171,559/.; and the amount of dividend upon this 

 capital in 1833 was between 3 and 4 i)Cr cent. All of these were for 

 many years without any dividend, and frequently much lower than 

 that before named, — seldom higher. 



I think the foregoing statement will prove that tlie profits of the 

 public Water Companies have not generally been very exorbitant; 

 and that, whatever objections may be made in particular cases, great 

 credit is due to the enterprise of those who have, for a trifling gain, 

 risked their property for the public good. 



I cannot proceed fwtUer without remarkingi that in the observations 



