[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Cheltenham Borough.

  • Cheltenham (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Cheltenham Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/96 (page 16)
    No. of Samples examined. Tewkesbury Raw River Water... Coagulated water at outlet, from tanks Coagulated water above filters ... Filtered water ... ... Final Chloraminated water 1959 152 53 50 479 770 1960 160 52 52 526 760 1504 1550 The intensity of the bacterial pollution of the River Severn during 1960, showed a slight increase over that of the previous year, but the deterioration was possibly not excessive in view of the wet conditions which prevailed throughout the period. In volumes of 0.01 ml. or less, coliform organisms were present in 577% of the samples as against 55'9% in 1959. Bact. Coli I was confirmed in 43.2% of the samples, as against 30.0% in 1959. Of the final water going into supply, 98-6% of the samples were free from presumptive coliform organisms in 100 ml. quantities. Only one sample yielded a positive Bact. Coli. I positive result, which, however, was not confirmed in duplicated reference samples. Of the samples examined from Cheltenham’s local sources, only one was reported against during the year. The general bacteriological condition has been very good, as was that of the swimming bath waters at Sandford and Alstone, and the potable water from the Spas. CHEMICAL EXAMINATIONS —1960 Cheltenham No. of Samples Examined 1959 1960 Dowdeswell ••• ••• ••• ••• • • • • • • 9 3 Northfield ... ••• ••• ••• ••• • • • • • • 4 3 Sandford ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 4 3 Miscellaneous ••• ••• ••• • • • • • • 5 22 5 14 The Cheltenham water supply is not liable to plumbo solvent action and therefore no precautions to prevent contamination by lead have been taken. Recent contamination of raw water in the River Severn, due to unlawful disposal of certain effluents has been the subject of representa- tions to the Severn River Board who are investigating the matter. Number of dwelling-houses and the number of population supplied from public water mains:— (a) Direct to the houses: { (b) By means of stand pipes: None. 22,378 70,370 RADIOACTIVITY OF WATER SAMPLES AND RAINFALL Examinations of water samples and rainfall for radioactivity were continued throughout the year, during which period level of activity was even lower than that to which it had fallen towards the end of 1959. This applied to rainfall, and to surface water supplies in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Gloucester. Slight effects from the 1st and 2nd French nuclear explosions were detected respectively in the rainfall of late February and early May.