CROMWELL WATER SUPPLY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 233, 28 April 1874, Page 5

CROMWELL WATER SUPPLY.

The following memorandum from Professor Black, in Dunedin, has been handed to us by the Town Clerk for publication:— University Laboratory, April 18, 1874 Dear Sir, —1 have been for some time expecting the arrival of samples of water from Cromwell in larger quantities than you sent on 3rd March. However, seeing by the Press that the health of the community of Cromwell is at present in an unsatisfactory state, [ have deemed it advisable to proceed at once with the small samples you supplied. And you will see that it is well I have done so, as the water, especially the Spring, turns out so badly. It is quite possible I may, on examining the water in larger quantity, have to modify my verdict. At present you should at once discontinue the use of the Spring water ; and for drinking purposes the other two creek waters should be boiled for (say) three minutes, and then allowed to cool before use.—l am, &c.,

Jam us G. Black. C. Colclough, Esq., Cromwell. [analysis.] The three samples of water, (a) from Spring at Cromwell, (hj) from Firewood Creek, and (c) from Lowburn Creek, I have examined only for total residue, and organic matter. The results obtained are tabulated below, as well as similar results, under headings, obtained in analyses of water extensively used in various parts of the world for domestic purposes. An inspection of that table will show that the Spring water sent compares very unfavourably with other water ; so much so as to render it, in my opinion, quite unfit for dietetic and drinking purposes. The water from Lowburn Creek I also consider objectionable, owing to the large proportion of organic matter it contains. The sample taken from Firewood Creek compare fairly with the water supplied to London by the various London water companies. It is not, however, so good as the water supplied to Glasgow', Edinburgh, Manchester, Berlin, Vienna, and many other large communities.

I would consider it very desirable that the water from Firewood Creek should be filtered before being used for domestic purposes. The Low'burn water should be passed through a fil-ter-bed of sand mixed with charcoal, or gravelclay and charcoal, before use. The Spring is altogether inadmissible. The quantities operated on in this case (one pint of each) have been too small for complete analysis. 1 shall await, therefore, a larger supply before making a fuller return.

James G. Black, Provincial Analyst. Total solid residue and organic matter in grains per gallon. Source Total solid Organic residue, matter. Thames at Kew—Grand Junc-

tion Co Thames at Battersea—South21.7 ... 3.07 wark and Yauxhall Co. Thames at Lambeth—Lambeth 21.0 ... 1.49 Co 20.3 ... 2 59 Thames at London Bridge* ... 28.5 ... 7.00 Thames at Greenwich* ... 27.9 ... 4.07 Kent Co., 1851 29.7 ... 2.61 New River—New River Co. ... 19.4 ... 2.75 River Lea —East London Co.... 23.5 ... 4.13 Loch Katrine— Glasgow supply Clyde, a few miles above Glas1.98 ... 0.79 gow 8.13 ... 1.12 Lake of Geneva 10.64 ... 0.42 Rhone at Lyons 11.88 ... 0.23 Manchester Water Supply, 1864 5.35 ... 0.75 Dunedin Co.’s water, June 1873 6.11 ... 1.40 do. do. do. 5,60 ... 1.42 do. do. do. 6.80 ... 1.28 do. do., April 1874 6.37 ... 1.90 do. do. do. 6.30 ... 1.92 Cromwell— (a) Spring 21.00 ... 7.00 »» —(h ) Birewood Creek 14.70 ... 2.27 >> — (c) Lowburn Creek 10.50 .. 3.15 * I presume these are not used for domestic purposes.