118 REPORT 1875. 



Wells at Wellington and Somerton yield constant supplies of hard water, 

 unaffected by local rain. 



At Wemhdon, 60 feet above the sea, a well in the Red Sandstone, 30 feet 

 deep, yields a plentiful supply of water, which is also the case at Wells, a well 

 33 feet deep, at a point 70 feet above the sea. 



Leicestershire. 



The deep wells of Leicester red^tik a maximum depth of 90 feet, and derive 

 their water-supply from the Upper Keuper Sandstone, which dips S.E. at a 

 low angle from the outcrop, or Davies Hill, towards the town and river, which 

 Mr. Plant considers must drain off a large portion of the supply held by the 

 sandstone, which consists of from 20 to 50 feet of sandstone, "separated by 

 beds of stiff red clay varying in thickness from a few inches to six feet." The 

 water in these wells is free from organic impurity ; permanent water-level is 

 about the mean height of the water in the river. These wells are tubbed 

 or bricked to keep out surface-springs in the Drift ; and one is reported capable 

 of yielding 250,000 to 300,000 gallons a day ; another, emptied in 10 hours, 

 was restored to its normal level during the night. 



Mr. Plant reports that a number of shallow wells in the town are being 

 gradually closed by the authorities, being under 30 feet in depth, and their 

 supply derived from drift deposits more or less charged with organic im- 

 purity. 



Mr. Plant states the supply from the New Red Sandstone to be very con- 

 stant, though limited in quantity, from the smallness of the collecting-area at 

 Davies Hill. The present supply given to the town is from " streams flowing 

 from the Hills of Charnwood Forest, stored in two large reservoirs at Thornton 

 and Cropston." 



Mr. Plant sums up the result obtained by him in Leicestershire by stating 

 that the supply of water from the Upper Keuper Sandstone (nowhere more 

 than 50 or 60 feet thick) is small but permanent. All the deep wells of the 

 town of Leicester being supplied from this source, the water is pure but hard 

 from sulphate and carbonate of lime. 



In both the eastern and western districts of the county the supply is from 

 the Lower Keuper Sandstone, which is in some places probably 600 feet in 

 thickness. The water is pure but not free from hardness, but the supply is 

 abundant and permanent. 



Where the Bunter and Permian beds are penetrated, the supply of water 

 appears to be enormous and entirely unaffected by dry seasons ; it is pure and 

 perfectly soft. 



These results may be tabulated thus : — 



Formation. Supply. Hardness. 



1. Upper Keuper Sandstone. Not abundant. Sulph. and carb. of lime. 



2. Lower „ „ Abundant. Not so hard as 1. 



3. Bunter beds. More abundant. Nearly soft. 



4. Permian beds. Most abundant. Soft. 



The SxAFi'OEDSHrRE returns not being complete, Mr.Molyneux defers sending 

 them until next year ; but as previous to this inquiry he had published much 

 information regarding the water-supply of Burton-on-Trent, your Reporter 

 has thought it well to briefly allude to his results. 



The large number of journals of borings placed at Mr. Molyneux's disposal 

 by Messrs. Allsopp and Sons and Messrs. Salt and Co. have enabled him to 



