Age, and Roman artifacts were discovered during the waterworks' construction. From medieval times to the early 1800s the area is thought to have been home to several springs and wells (giving rise to the name "Seething Wells") that were purported to have healing properties. In 1808 the area was enclosed for the first time, by the Baron King, and by this point had become occupied by around 200 people. The Metropolis Water Act 1852 prohibited the extraction of water for household purposes from the tidal Thames. The Lambeth Waterworks Company anticipated this by choosing to build their works at Seething Wells in 1847, which were purchased around 1849, and completed and opened in 1852. Another company - the Chelsea Waterworks Company - joined the Lambeth Waterworks Company here, they started construction in 1854 and opened in 1856. The Lambeth Waterworks played a part in John Snow's investigations into cholera; he showed that homes supplied from further downriver by the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company had a cholera mortality rate 14 times that of homes supplied by Seething Wells, which was upriver and hence had cleaner water. Despite carrying less disease, the inlets at Seething Wells sucked up too much mud with the water because of turbulence caused by the twin-mouthed River Mole, The Rythe, and the sharp bend in the Thames. The Lambeth Waterworks Company thus built a replacement intake at Molesey, and the Chelsea Waterworks Company followed them there three years later, after attempting to build works opposite Hampton Court. This left the two companies with just water treatment works at Seething Wells, which existed side by side until they were incorporated into the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903, which was in turn incorporated into the Thames Water Authority in 1973. The water treatment works was privatized as part of Thames Water in 1989, and it was mostly decommissioned by Thames Water in 1992 — a pumping station on Simpson Way now supplies the area with water from the Thames Water Ring Main. In the early 21st century, most of the old waterworks were turned into a residential area, with the notable exception of 7 decommissioned filter beds — the Seething Wells Filter Beds. Several of the old waterworks buildings were converted inside, instead of being knocked down. The Electric Parade area and the 130 year old Victoria Recreation Park at the edge of Seething Wells were not located