LONDON'S WATER SUPPLY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 154, 16 November 1912, Page 8

LONDON'S WATER SUPPLY

On an average, every Londoner uses 31 gallons of water a day, the total daily consumption in the summer being 250,000,000 gallons, sufficient to float several Dreadnoughts. The supply is obtained from four sources:—(l) The rivers Thames and Lee; (2) gravel beds adjoining the Thames and at Hamworth; (3) natural springs; (4) wells sunk in the Lee Valky and in Kent. With the exception of the supply obtained in Kent all the water has to be carefully filtered, and as more than half the total supply is drawn from the Thames the great storage reservoirs are along the course of that river. They cover an area of 1487 acres and hold 8,913,000,000 gallon) of water. Early next year another great reservoir will be opened at Chingford. It will cover 41C acres and hold over fourteen million tons of water. From the great reservoirs for unfiltered water the precious fluid runs over vast filter beds, of which there are 171, and is then stored in eighty service reservoirs. To pump, the water from place to plaee great 'engines have been installed with an aggregate of 38,380 horse-power. Distributing the supply throughout the metropolitan area is another great task requiring 6307 miles of piping. London is growing so rapidly that the Watei Board has ever to keep in mind the requirements of the future. Its officers estimate that in 1941 London will have a population of twelve million, and that this will necessitate a supply of 360,000,000 gallons of water a day from the Thames. It is conceivable that in time the demand will exceed the supply obtainable from the present sources, and then the engineers will have to find some ; new means of providing the city with the great necessary of life. A sure and adequate supply of water is required, not only for consumption and fire subjection, but also for manufactories and sanitary purposes. The gas and electric supplies are dependent on it, and any serious breakdown in the system would throw thousands of men out of employment, i