ON THE CIRCULATION OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 309 



Seventh Report of the Committee^ consisting of Professor E. Hull, 

 the Kev. H. W. Crosskey, Captain Douglas G-alton, Mr. James 

 Glaisher, Professor G. A. Lebour, Mr, W. Molyneux, Mr. G. H. 

 Morton, Mr. W. Pengelly, Professor J. Prestwich, Mr. J. Plant, 

 Ml-. James Parker, Mr. I. Egberts, Mr. S. Stooke, Mr. G-. J. 

 Symons, Mr. W. Whitaker, and Mr. C. E. De Kance {Reporter), 

 appointed for the purpose of investigating the Circulation of the 

 Underground Waters in the Jurassic, Neiv Red Sandstone, and 

 Permian Formations of England, and the Quality and Quan- 

 tity of the Water supplied to Toiuns and Districts from these 

 formations. 



The Committee had hoped in this, the seventh year of its existence, to 

 have completed the inquiry with which it was entrusted ; but, owing 

 partly to the considerable development of works to obtain water from 

 underground sources at the present time, and partly from the absence 

 from England of some of its members, it has been found necessary to 

 defer the final report on the water-bearing capabilities of the Triassic 

 and Jurassic formations of England and "Wales until next year, when the 

 Committee also hope to present their first report on the nature of the 

 quantity and the quality of the other permeable formations of the country. 



River Basins of the North-East of England. 



No Permian, Triassic, or Jurassic rocks occur in the basins of the 

 Tweed, Alyn, Coquet, Wansbeck, Blyth, or Tyne. 



These formations • occupy the following- areas, in the basins specified, 

 as defined on the Ordnance Survey Catchment basin map. 



Magnesian Triassic • 



Limestone . . rocks Oolites 



Kiver Wear ... 42 



Catchment Basin, XXI. 17 



River Tees . . .130 



„ Esk . . . — 



189- 



130 .. — 

 — . . 183 



130 183 



From the investigations that have been made as to the capacity of 

 the Magnesian Limestone for absorption, it appears that 10 inches of 

 rainfall is annually available in this formation, or 400,000 gallons daily 

 per square mile, giving a total of 73 million gallons, or a supply for a 

 population of 2^ millions, at 30 gallons per head. 



In the Oolitic area, probably not more than 5 inches annually can be 

 relied on, or 200,000 gallons per square mile, or a supply sufficient for 

 Ij million people, the total underground being capable of supplying 

 3^ millions of people. 



The actual population in this group of river-basins is under 1,400,000, 

 so that the supply in the area from these formations alone is more than 

 double the demand. 



The Triassic rocks in this area are not available for water-supply, on 

 a larger scale ; for though certain wells of no great depth, or importance, 

 obtain fresh WateV, the deep borirlgs of Messrs. Bolckow and Vaughans, and 

 Messrs. Bell Brothers, prove the existence of rock-salt in this formation, 

 which renders it„ valueless for water-snpply purposes. 



