Water supply of the city of Aberdeen : general report on the water supply of large towns, as compared with Aberdeen : and financial memorandum on the Aberdeen Water Works : with analyses of the Aberdeen water by Professor Brazier, of the Aberdeen University.

Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Water supply of the city of Aberdeen : general report on the water supply of large towns, as compared with Aberdeen : and financial memorandum on the Aberdeen Water Works : with analyses of the Aberdeen water by Professor Brazier, of the Aberdeen University. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    6/16 (page 6)
    It will thas be observed that Aberdeen is especially favour- ably situated in respect of quantity of Water Supply. IL—QuAUTY OP Towns' Watebs. The qudUy of water supplied to a large town has obviously anWrtant bearing on the pubUc health, as well as on the conveni- ence and comfort of the inhabitants. The site of the present intake at Caimton was fixed on, not merely from its level axlmitting of tho supply coming to the town by gravitation, but because it ensured thaora very long period at least, the water should be plaeed beyond risk of contamination. In Mr. Simpson s report of 10th Sept 1855, he states that, « from examination of the present source U.e. near the Bridge of Dee] it was obvious to me that at times the river Dee must be seriously affected by impurities, and on investigation, this evidently proceeded from some of the small Treams flo^wing into the Dee, and more particuMy from the Loch of Skene and the Mills on the Culter Bum (the water of the latter being occasionally in an extremely foul state), also from the Burns of Sennie and Cannie and the river Feugh, which are deci^ dedly moss waters. It has also to be noted that the drainage of Banchory is discharged into the Dee at .f^:'ZT^Z at Banchory Bridge and the other at the Bailway Station. There fa also a growing population near the various stations f™ Ban- I^v to Aberdeen, more especially from the extension of bmldmg. Cult, wlile the maaufLturing operations at Culter are also being enlarged. It has to be borne in mind that even chemical Syses are not so perfect as to discover every element of mpunty. that although the power of running water, aided by the ani- ^atd vt^ble life abounding therein, to purify itself, ^ great; ^^tto best security for a pure supply is to be found in taking it Cm a source where there is no possible danger o its bemg mixed with sewase or other known sources of contamination. Hence the Idvanbige of such an Intake as that at Caimton having been se- • ''It should also be observed that, from the la^e size of the servoir at Invercannie (which is capable of contammg 15,000,000 t the supply of the town can be maintained for 6 or 7 days with- oSng » water from the Dee. During spates or flood, the water