Water Supply of London

Abstract

IN a lecture delivered before the Junior Institution of Engineers on Jan. 17, Mr. G. Andrew-Marshall gave some interesting figures indicating the immensity of the responsibility involved in undertaking the supply of water to so great an area and population as is comprised in the district served by the Metropolitan Water Board. Thus the area supplied is about 560 square miles in extent; the population 7,381,000; and the quantity of water distributed last year was 100,723 million gallons, the average daily supply being 276 million gallons; a little more than the half of which quantity was equivalent to the combined supply for Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leeds, and Brighton. The net amount received for water rental amounts to about £4,500,000 a year, and the capital debt is £53,856,000. The number of officers employed by the Board is about 950 and of workmen 4290. The capacity of the storage reservoirs is 19,657 million gallons, and of service reservoirs there are 92, holding 321 million gallons; there are 176 acres of filter beds; about 7000 miles of mains, and a total horse-power of 27,270 is required to pump water through the system.