1S40.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



47 



I have made, and am about to make, I am not advocating any particu- 

 lai- interests, but merely expressing my individual opinion of a great 

 public good ; nor do I tliink the circumstance of my being at present 

 connected professionally with one of the largest of the Water-works 

 Companies should be any bar to the expression of an independent 

 opinion. In the following observations, I can only regret that others 

 more competent have not taken the task in hand, knowing, as I do, how 

 many there are connected with this Society infinitely better able, from 

 age and experience, to do justice to the subject. 



That Great Britain stands pre-eminent amongst nations is not only 

 on account of the valuable minerals in which she abounds, and which 

 is accidental, but also on account of the industry and perseverance of 

 her subjects enabling them to overcome the greatest difficulties, and to 

 avail themselves to the fidlest extent of the resources Nature has 

 blessed the islands with. 



The chief reason that there are larger and nobler establishments for 

 the public good is, that in England, instead of the Government exe- 

 cuting and controlling the large public works, enterprising individuals 

 join together, and, each s\ibscribing a portion of his property, execute 

 the largest and grandest works. The only inducement is the fair ex- 

 pectation tliat the money subscribed will yield an equitable return for 

 the risk incurred. This return is made by that portion of the com- 

 munity wdio derive advantages from the undertaking, — advantages 

 which could not be obtained excepting by joint subscription. If any 

 work is undertaken which, although benelicial to some portions of the 

 community, is not to others, that only which derives the benefit pays 

 for it ; whereas, if it w'ere undertaken by Government, in many in- 

 stances the whole would have to pay for the part enjoying the benefit, 

 or no works ujjon a similar plan to those which, until of late years, 

 were peculiar to Great Britain, would be undertaken, as the acquies- 

 cence of the majority must be obtained before a wise Government 

 would embark in any hirge undertaking. 



This system, as every other, may be abused ; but I am speaking of 

 the system when it is jjroperly worked, not otherwise. 



The case of Sir Hugh Myddleton is one showing directly the neces- 

 sity of many individuals joining together; the undertaking was too 

 large, and the risk too great for one man, to ensure a safe return ; he 

 therefore was ruined. If in the first instance others had joined with 

 him, a portion only of his fortune would have been lost. It is not to 

 be expected that Companies can be formed without a fair chance of a 

 return for the money risked: and as the benefit derived from great 

 public works cannot be obtained otherwise, the nation, while it is doing 

 right to guard against abuse, nuist, on the other hand, be cautious that, 

 by requiring too much, it does not render the article too costly, and 

 thus put a stop to the system. Every Company, as every individual, 

 expects and ought to be remunerated, otherwise there is an end to 

 companies. 



There have been many abuses of the system, and a consequent sus- 

 picion of it ; individuals not unfrequently most honestly undertake to 

 expose these abuses, — it is a difficult task ; care must be taken that 

 in attempting to cure a limb the whole body is not, through ignorance, 

 destroyed. 



In determining upon the supply of water to a large district, the chief 

 points to be attended to are, first, whether it is to be obtained at such 

 a cost that those who risk their money to obtain it can supply it at an 

 unobjectionable price, and at the same time be fairly remunerated ; 

 second, that the quality be good ; and third, that the quantity be 

 abimdant. 



On the first I have to observe, that in London, with the exception 

 of the greatest portion of the New River supply, the water has to be 

 raised by the power of steam to dwelling-houses situated above the 

 source ; and by the same power it must be forced through pipes, so 

 that each inhabitant shall have a supply : to preserve and continue 

 this power is the greatest source of expenditure in water-works. If 

 water cannot be obtained in the neighbourhood at a sufficient elevation 

 to run into the houses of the inhabitants, recourse must be had to me- 

 chanical power, or the plan of carrying water front a distance by human 

 labour must be readopted. The power necessary is in proportion to 

 the quantity of water required and the height to which it has to be 

 raised. If the elevation is lOU feet, it will require double the power 

 that it would if it were only 50 feet ; if, therefore, the rivers near 

 London are discarded, and deep springs are resorted to, the height to 

 which the water vfill have to be raised will be at least lUU feet greater 

 than the height from the rivers, and the expense will be proportion- 

 ately increased, which must be met by increased payment for the 

 water. To raise the present supply of London 100 feet high, without 

 considering friction, a power equal to about 1480 horses will be re- 

 quired, working 12 hours per diem. 



In addition to this, as the water supplied by the New River Com- 

 pany is now delivered by their river at 84 feet above the water of the 



Thames, taking the average pressure at 60 feet, an additional power of 

 430 horses, working 12 Tiours per diem, would be required, or a total 

 increase of power equal to more than IDOO horses. To establish and 

 maintain this jiower would require an investment of capital eepial to 

 about 1,500,000/. The same reasoning will apply to filtering the whole 

 supply. 



This fact must be borne in mind, that if more capital is laid out in 

 what is, often erroneously, termed impioiing the supply, higher rates 

 must be paid ; antl if those who pay for the water are not satisfied, and 

 are willing to pay higher rates, they can have a more costly article ; 

 and that if any alteration is made" in the general su;>ply of water, 

 which leads to increased expenditure, whether tliis is made by the 

 Companies already established, or by new Companies, the case is the 

 same, — higher rates must eretitually be paid, whatever is done in the 

 first instance ; and this appears to me a statement wliich no unpreju- 

 diced individual can gainsay; — I am speaking of the ^cj(errtZ supplv, 

 not of any particular cases. 



And this brings me to the second point, namely, quality. From the 

 parliamentary inquiries lately made, it appears that owing to the im- 

 proved drainage in London consequent upon the abundant supply of 

 water which has of late years flowed into the sewers, the water of the 

 river Thames had in that portion in which the drainage took place 

 become inferior in qualitylo what it had been before. The strongest 

 evidence upon this subject was that of Dr. Bostock, a gentleman of 

 well known experience in the analysation of waters; he stated dis- 

 tinctly that the impurities of the water were mechanical, and might 

 be separated by filtration. It would also be well to notice what pro- 

 portion of the supply of London comes from this objectionable source : 

 about 65 per cent, of the whole supply is;(o/ Thames water; about 22 

 per cent, is either taken above Hammersmith Bridge, beyond the in- 

 fluence of the London drainage, or is filtered ; and as to the remaining 

 13 per cent., powers are, or are about to be obtained forthwith to 

 change the source of supply. In the latter case delay has been occa- 

 sioned by a belief, justly founded, that Parliament would have proposed 

 a plan for their supply ; and in fact, powers were refused the parties 

 until it was detern>iued whether this would be the case or not. 



For drinking, spring water is the pleasantest ; and although it may 

 contain certain salts, which render it hard and unfit for domestic pur- 

 poses, it is not in the slightest degree injurious to health. Few would 

 prefer river water to drink, if they could obtain spring water, as the 

 very quality of softness which renders river water so valuable for 

 general purposes, is that which renders it flat and unpalatable, namely, 

 the absence of salts, which causes the water to be hard. 



Thirdly, as to quantity ; that this is a point of very great importance 

 may easily be proved. In 1S33, 191,066 houses were supplied with 

 waier; the quantity of water raised was 35 millions of gallons daily. . 

 Supposing each house required 9 gallons per diem for drinking in the 

 simple form, or otherwise, this would amount to TiVth of the whole 

 quantity, or 5 per cent.; and the remaining iilths, or 95 per cent., is 

 required for washing, cleaning sewers, watering gardens, and running 

 down the channels in the public streets, and a portion for manufacturing 

 purposes, and for fires. 



The Water Companies are bound to give an abundant supply in 

 case of fire ; and during the time that the cholera morbus raged, a 

 gratuitous supply was given, and the water was allowed to run out of 

 the mains down the streets, alleys, and courts whenever required; — in 

 the first instance insuring the lives and property of the public against 

 fire ; and in the second, preventing the sjiread of ilisease by rendering 

 the whole, but especially the thickly populated parts, of "the Metro- 

 polis healthy. 



If, therefore, so small a quantity is required for drinking, and so 

 large a quantity for other purposes, it would be a very imperfect 

 scheme which sacrificed the latter for the former. 



If a purer water can be obtained, and is required, either from deep 

 springs or by universal filtration, as this cannot be done excepting by 

 an enormous outlay of capital, and a proportionate increase of rates, 

 which is preferable, — that tlie whole 35 millions used for all purposes 

 should be filtered; or that for a short season every year, when the 

 rivers are discoloured, eacli inhabitant should have a portable filter, 

 which may be obtained for 2Us., and filter the twentieth part? That 

 the latter would be the cheapest to the consumer I am quite satisfied. 

 I am of course speaking now of that portion of the supply out of the 

 influence of the London tirainage, and which is only mechanically 

 affected in rainy seasons, at all other times being clear and free from 

 mechanical impurity. I say mechanical impurity, in contradistinction 

 to chemical impurity : the first may be got rid of by deposition or 

 filtration; the second cannot be got rid of but by changing the source. 

 The evidence, however, given before Parliament shows that none of 

 the water supplied to Loudon is so ckmicuUij impure, as to be in the 

 least degree injurious to health. 



