The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-05 00:00:00

dardner, Houghton, Toulmin, S. Holme, and the Mart
—24 .
The question was then referred back to the committee
by consent.

WATER COMMITTEE.
The proceedings of this committee contained the fol'
lowing :
30, Great George.streot, Westminster, 1
30th January, 1857.
My Dear Sir,—Pending a mere elaborate report, I beg
to mention for the consideration of the water committee
in treating the subject of the distribution of the water,
that with new pipes, new reservoirs, and as yet a limited
portion of the water shed at command, it is quite impos-
sible to deliver the Rivington water, for some time to
come, in a condition of normal purity. In no one instance
of the introduction of a new supply of soft water, conveyed
from a distance, has such a result been obtained, and
iii
no one instance will it ever be obtained. That the water
should, in fact, be, on its arrival in Liverpool, so clear
and usable as it now is, is to me a matter of surprise and
unexpected pleasure.
The change from a hard to a soft water should always;
be effected with caution ' • for although the apprehensions
of danger from the theoretical formation of a solution of
lead are entirely without foundation, (and I speak as ono
having the authority of experience on the subject,) it 15
apt to exert a temporary action on the various matters
forming the internal coating of long used iron pipes, and
so become discoloured and reddened. The quantity
admitted into the pipes should therefore be for some time
limited in quantity, and be mixed with the harder
water obtained from the wells. Moreover, the mixture
should be as uniform as possible in Abe different quarters
of the town, and the different days, and the
proportion of the Rivington water should be gradually
increased, till at length the one supply will be entirely'
substituted for the other. While, however, the quantity
to be supplied to the town should be thus limited, the
quantity conveyed from Rivington should be considerable,
in order to cleanse the pipes and divide the first dissolved
oxide through a large volume. For the present we are its
,1
a position to send down eight million gallons per diem,
and this quantity is now actually being transmitted
through in pipe. Of th's I recommend that four
million gall3l's per day should be distributed in Liverpool,
and that the other four million gallons per day should be
allowed to discharge into the Kensington Reservoir.
Of course, a constant supply cannot be immediately*
given, nor with entirely new and, as yet, imperfectly'
tested works, would it be prudent to attempt. it, for some
pipes are almost certain to burst, and other accidents may
occur ; but I think it is very desirable to lengthen the
period of service in some cases, and to make the service
more frequent in other cases.
I do not think it at all necessary to notice the outcry
attempted to be made by one or two of the newspapers.
The writers display such an entire ignorance of the sub-
ject, and are so absurdly wrong, that, with the water
actually in the town, to confute them, and actually doing
the good to the industrial and manufacturing classes, for
whom it was, perhaps, mainly, though not wholly intended,
it appears to me scarcely worth while to defend a strong
position so feebly assailed.
I am, my dear sir, faithfully yours,
%Vm. Shuttleworth, Esq. T. Hawitsrazt. 3

15, St. James's-terrace, Regent's Park, N.W.% 1
January 26, 1857.
Dear Sir,—Since sending you my report on the Liars
pool waters, dated the 11th January, various newspapers
have been forwarded to me, from which I have become
acquainted with the kind of opposition with which the
corporation had to contend.
Allow me first to remark, with respect to my analysis,
that, although to my mind they are perfectly satisfactory'
as to the wholesomeness of the waters, and the chemical
nature of the constituents contained in them, they must
no,, be compared
_as to quantities by weight with °the%

analyses made by Mr. Spencer.
The very short notice I had of the necessity for tel
analyses, rendered it impossible for me to evaporate more
than an imperial pint (20 ounces) of each sample. This 16
the eighth part of a gallon. The accidental loss of one:
tenth or two-tenths of a grain of the solid residue of a pit"
would, you will perceive, make a difference of one or trio
grains in a gallon, as any slight error that may occur je
increased eightfold when so small a quantity is taken Or
examination.
Mr. Spencer informs me that he found a larger quantity
of solid contents in the Rivington water, and it is there'
fore due to him to make the explanation of a difference
which might create surprise.
The solid contents of any water, however, are alvialf
liable to vary at different seasons of the year, accordi°6
to floods, rain, the amount of mechanical impurity, Se•
but, so long as the variations keep within the limits 0,
wholesomeness, this is, in a practical view, a Yet'

unimportant matter.
Whether the water of Rivington contains three, five, or
eight grains of solid matter in the gallon, would not, 20
the smallest degree, affect my opinion of its being
wholesome, so long as the constituents are of such '-
nature as those detected by Mr. Spencer, Dr. Musprattt
and myself.
Every chemist who knows anything of the subject 10,°:,,t
that there is no water which can touch the earth vrit7A
coming in contact and dissolving to a greater or less W
O
some mineral and organic matters. There is no town
village in the kingdom supplied with water which does
not contain in proportions varying from two to thisl
grains in the gallon mineral and organic matter, and
are and may be considered good and wholesome waters, 7,
which the solid contents do not exceed ten grains is '2/0
gallon. It is rank quackery in science therefore to iroP,'
upon the public by the assertion that two or three grit;
more or less, of mineral and organic matter render Tao'

_
noxious to health.
Of Dr. Muspratt's analysis I shall only make this chose's;
tion —lf ho found in the gallon two grains of flint, two grsi,,,,n
of carbonate of soda, mere traces of salt, and six-hundredw;
of a grain of carbonate of iron, he certainly did not Willi%
the Rivington water as I had it sent to me, and as I have

now. 'oo
On what ground does he say the organic matter (two
in the gallon) is a highly injurious ingredient ? Let him
duce the water supplied to any town in this country i'lwea
does not contain organic matter in or near the proportion, an,
even exceeding it. To swallow a grain of this so eld,ty
injurious ingredient, a man must take at a draught eigtio
imperial ounces, or four imperial pints of the water! ,f
imperial pint (20 ounces) would constitute a good draught
water, and this would contain only a quarter of a grain of t'
injurious ingredient !
Is this assertion based on experiment'or conjecture ? tg
I should think the latter. Is it a fact that the inhabit° r
of Liverpool, up to the present time, have been drinking sc3t,eci
m ,
entirely free from mineral and organic
atter ? If not, vt.
is the noxious agency all at once attributed to the Pike orate
and not to the old supply?
the.
There are, however, apart from all the public prejudice to
stirred up, two points on'which I would beg, through you,
make some remarke w.
1. Although thes to
Rivingthtonater water,committee as I have received stj,
examined it, is good and wholesome, the colour, apperento
derived from peat, is decidedly objectionable. Sine°, is
report was sent to you, I have performed some experimen'e
its
e
reference to this colour. Lime water partially rerne/e!„.s
but it hardens the water, unless the preparation is very '''tbs
fully regulated. Air and light do not appear to remotrelpo.
colour, at least so far as I have yet tried the water by I
sure ; sand filtration does not remove it. The agent wh'e bt
have found to remove the colour entirely, and make it briga)
and colourless, is filtration through peat charcoal (well v)551,00
how far this can be practicable on a large Kale, is a que°o3o
for your engineer, and would no doubt bo regulated by
necessities of the case; t ie
I hope it may turn out that the discolouration by Pe at
dependant on temporary causes, and that there is o°4
deposit from which the water may acquire permanent')
decided colour, which would make it repulsive for drinitivg'or
It would be a great misfortune if such an excellent le st.
were continually exposed to acquire this colour from Pso
The difficulty cannot, however, be insurmountable in loci,
engineering view, and it would be better to remove the •Of
of impregnation, if this be possible, than to rely on filtritl
which, oa a large scale might be costly. , s/
2. Tho second point is this—Has the Rivirigton waltl'oe
action on lead, such as to render its supply through le"
pipes and
No cisterr*noxious to health ? 11 OD
doubt Mr.'Spencer has put you in possession of a- cot
facts connected with this important question. I er
i 4
made any experiments whatever with the Rivington 10°,4 to
reference to its action or non•action on lead. It bei°9'tlis
that class of waters which in general do act more or less °fro
metal. In one of the newspapers there is a letter frame : 001
Catty, stating that th' water has a rapid action upon lest 4
1 perceive that Mr. Herapath has adopted this view. „
I would observe that the question was the subject 0, ,go'%
experiment and research in reference to the supply of a'ao,l6
from Loch Katrina, and mmy pamphlets and reports, ter
published on the subject. Your engineer, Mr. gaga
srlis~
and Mr. Spencer were both present (I think) at the 1' witil
mentray committee, and are therefore well acquainted
'll
the facts.
The result was that, although the Loch Katrina vt'at,,lti ss
act upon lead under certain circumstances, the act!t-9 cos
determined by experiment was not such as to prevent its
for the town's supply. tbeit
I perceive some of the Liverpool papers are resting
opposition to the Rivington water on the chemical acti 0-
i
real'
thus while some, like Dr. Muspratt, think the water is tops,
poisoned by holding two grains of organic matter to the ter
rial gallon, others think it will acquire a poisonous chars' tvis 4
distribution through lead. The water is condemned 1)1 or
parties in anticipation. 1 be,'
I have made those remarks in the hope that they twg iudic;„
some service to you, seeing that a large amount of pre'soa '1
public as well as scientific, has been most unjustiy 01)0asef'l
what I think void ultimately be found a great s°'
undertaking.—l am, your's faithfully, oft'
To W. Shuttleworth, Esq. ALFRED S. ir° CO
Mr. Alderman Cooper said : 1 beg to move tae
firmation of the proceedings of the water cornmitte3. 0156
preceedings are so very full, and, I believe, so '03,14 ti°
factory in many points, that I shall not °call