There are constant debates as to whether the water in London is good enough to drink or whether it is bad for your health. According to the authorities, the water in London is hygienic, clear, and good to drink, as it complies with all rules and regulations for drinking water as set out by the World Health Organisation and other water authorities and associations.
A Bit of History of London’s Water Supply
London’s water supply goes back millennia, to when the Romans called the Thames “Tamesis†which means “wide water” in Latin. Some think that the name comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “dark water.”
Citizens of London relied on the River Thames, its tributaries, or one of the numerous natural springs for their drinking water until the late 16th century. The Great Conduit, a lead pipe that delivered water from the spring at Tyburn to a large cistern in Cheapside via Charing Cross, Strand, Fleet Street and Ludgate, was constructed beginning 1247.
The citizens of London thereafter relied on water from the River Thames until pumped water was made available in 1582. Unfortunately the Great Fire of London destroyed the old wooden water infrastructure, and that which was rebuilt is still standing today.
Crazy Interesting Facts
The swans that can still be seen on the River Thames were introduced by Richard the Lionheart, an English King who couldn’t speak English, in the 12 Century.
A drop of rain that falls into the Thames at source in the Cotswolds will be drunk by eight people by the time it reaches the sea.
If you think that the River Thames is not that clean today, you can be glad that you were not around in the early 1820s when human waste was dumped into the Thames. The worst part is that this was then the same water that was pumped back to London and into homes to be used for drinking water and other forms of human consumption.
The Thames begins in a meadow in Gloucestershire and meanders for 135 miles before it reaches London, making it the longest river in England.
Present Day London Water Supply
Greater London is supplied by four water companies; Thames Water (supplies 76% of the population), Affinity Water (supplies 14% of the population), Essex and Suffolk Water (supplies 6.6% of the population) and Sutton and East Surrey Water (3.7%).
London water still comes mostly from the River Thames, and the rest comes from River Lea and various underground sources. Most of the piping still used is made of cast iron that dates back to the 19th century, and it is slowly deteriorating, which is the reason for many leaks.
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