9 



Water being so absolutely essential to our existence, it 

 can but be regarded as one of the great blessings of Provi- 

 dence that so vast a population as that congregated in the 

 Metropolitan area, amounting to some 6,000,000, have the 

 benefit of an ample daily supply of this necessity of life. The 

 daily supply is calculated at 212,000,000 gallons, or about 

 35 gallons per head ; and practically we have no knowledge 

 of a water famine. 



The supply of London is at present in the hands of eight 

 Companies, of whom five draw their water from the River 

 Thames, two from the River Lea and the New River, and 

 one from deep Chalk wells — the last-named being the Kent 

 Water Works Company, in whose supply we are interested, 

 and through whose auspices we obtain the purest and best 

 water in the London area. 



It will be remembered that a year or two since the supply 

 of East London from the River Lea partially failed, owing to 

 a very dry season ; but this has now been rectified by con- 

 nections with the mains of the other Companies, so that 

 water can be borrowed from other sources when any particular 

 one partially fails. The great storage of Artesian water 

 does not appear to be utilised to any extent in London except 

 in the case of the Kent Water Works Company already 

 mentioned. It may be noted, however, that the breweries in 

 London draw their water from Artesian wells, and it perhaps 

 may not generally be known that the fountains in Trafalgar 

 Square get their supply from this source. 



Some of the other large cities of England and Scotland 

 have not been so fortunate as the Metropolis, and have had 

 to get their supply from the mountainous districts in Wales 

 and elsewhere, and it is anticipated that London will in time 

 have to follow the same course, and get supplies from Wales. 



These Islands are geographically so favourably placed, 

 that they get all the benefit of the humid atmosphere coming 

 up from the Atlantic, and consequently have such a rain 

 supply that drought is almost unknown — further, the surface 

 of the Islands is sufficiently mountainous to attract the rain 

 clouds, and the numerous rivers and streams irrigate the 

 land, while there appears to be an ample storage of water in 

 the strata of the earth. Hence the water supply is always 

 ample. The need is great, but the bountiful supply is 

 greater. 



