Please visit our Water Coolers in London page or read more of our articles if you would like to contact us, please call on 0800 731 1491, or use our online form. Just for the fun of it Water Coolers Direct has trawled the net to bring you the following mix of fascinating and at times funny facts about water in London.   Historical facts about water in London 1. What did the Romans do for water in London The Romans called the Thames Tamesis which comes either from the Latin for "wide water" or the Sanskrit word meaning "dark water". (a) 2. Londoners reliant on water direct from the Thames until 1582 It wasn't until 1582 that pumped water was available to the people of London until then the populace were reliant on the River Thames and its tributaries or on one of the few natural springs. (b) 3. The Great Fire of London and the water supply The Great Fire of London destroyed the old water infrastructure which was mostly made of wood and lead, the resulting rebuild is still in place to this day although it has now started to deteriorate. (b) 4. Why are Swans on the Thames? It is commonly believed that the Swans found on the river Thames were introduced in the 12 Century by Richard the Lionheart an English King who couldn't speak English. (e)   Amazing facts about Water in London 1. You can drink water from the Thames We don't recommend this but apparently you can actually drink water from the river itself, you have to let the sediment and silt settle overnight but after that the water is apparently clean enough to drink. (a) 2. Whose been drinking my London water According to visitlondon.com, a drop of rain falling into the Thames at its source in the Cotswolds will have been drunk by 8 people before it reaches the sea. (a) 3. Whats that floating in my water? Thames water has never been especially clean but the low point must be in the seven years after 1815 when human waste was allowed to be carried and dumped into the Thames. Remember that this is the same Thames water that was pumped back into London homes for human consumption. (b) 4. The Thames starts in Gloucestershire The river Thames is the longest river in England. The Thames starts as a small river in a meadow in Gloucestershire and runs 135 miles before it reaches London. (c) Environmental facts about water in London 1. Bottled water deliveries to London Water Coolers There is a cheaper, more environmentally friendly method of supplying water to offices in and around London. Plumbed in (or Bottleless) water coolers maybe connected to the mains water supply and push the water through a filter that improves the taste and odour. Plumbed in coolers reduce the need to fill and transport large 19 Litre bottles through the busy London streets. 2. Important water fact for visitors too London Bottled water is expensive, tap water if free and is less harmful to the environment. By law restaurants and cafes have to be able to supply you with water, so be sure to ask for it rather than pay for bottled. Sources: a. http://www.visitlondon.com/areas/river/amazing-facts SOURCED ON: 10 October 2008 b. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_water_supply_infrastructure SOURCED ON: 10 October 2008 c. http://www.londonontap.org/facts/ SOURCED ON: 10 October 2008 d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_sewerage_system SOURCED ON: 10 October 2008 e. http://www.visitlondon.com/areas/river/amazing-facts SOURCED ON: 10 October 2008

About the links and information in this section

The pages in this section contain links to other websites which are not under the control of, nor maintained by, www.WaterCoolersDirect.com. These links are provided for your convenience only and we cannot be held responsible for the content of those sites. WaterCoolers Direct.com Ltd offers this article as Guidance Only. Therefore, WaterCoolers Direct.com Ltd and its employees or representatives cannot be held responsible for any purchasing decisions or work carried out as a result of this article.