The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-02 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE - NEW RESERVOIR
AT KIDDERMINSTER.
On Men lay efternoon, arni i a heavy down pour of
rain, Vie public ceremony of .opening he new
res.irvuir which has been constructed on the high‘ st
len] nen. Kiddermins'er, and the turning on of the
water into the town mains was performed by Mr.
Couaeillor E. Po•ter, the chairman of the Drainage '
ard Waterworks Committee of the Town gouncil of
IC•dcl-rminster, in the presence of the Mayo,
members of the Corporation, and the leading
residents of the borough. The necessity for these
new waterworks was fore d upon the attention of
the corporate authorities as the outcome of the
terrible visitation of typhoid fever at the end ct
the year 1534, when at least one-tenth of the enti e
population was seized with the malday, and a large
number of cases terminated fatally. An officical
inquiry, extending over many weeks by Dr. Parsons,
from the Medical Department of the Local Govern-
nie.nt Board, failed to trace the cause of that
outbreak, and many conflicting theori, s
were advanced. Some contended that it arose from
the impurity of the water supply, but the consenus
or public and scientific opinion traced the cause to
to the intermittent supply of water in the
elevated parts of the town, tor it was in these locali-
ties that the disease first manifested itself, and when
it appeared in the most virulent and fatal aspects.
When the necessity for perfecting the system of
water supply was brought to the attention of the
responsible authority they did all that was possible
to remedy the defect which had been so long felt
but silently endured. Mr. E. Pritchard, C. E. was
called in as consulting engineer, and in conjunction
with the Borough Surveyor be drew up an elaborate
and comprehensive report, which was presented to
the Council, embodying various important sugges-
tions. Mr. Arnold Taylor was sent down by the
Local Government Board to hold an official inquiry,
and the Council resolved to construct a new high
service reservoir, and at the same time to augment
the water supply in the borough and at Stourport,
which is also dependent upon the Kidderminster
Waterworks for its main supply of water. Contracts
were entered into with Mr. George Law for the
carrying out of the works, and the whole of the
contract having been carried out, the waterworks
were formally opened onMonday, andnowthe inhabi-
tants have a supply of water which is alike constant,
supplied at high pressure, and free from the slightekt
suspicion of impurity. The cost of works has been a
little under £7,000. Already tha Corporation have
incurre 1 expenditure of about £120,000 in carrying
out the water and sewerage schemes of the borough,
so that no charge of niggardliness can be laid at the
door of the Town Council. The new reservoir has
an altitude of about 43 feet in excess of the old one,
with an increased statical pressure of water of about
40 feet, and dynamical pressure of about 20 feet.
This will enable the highest parts of the borough to
have a constant supply of water, The reservoir is
a covered one, to prevent the development of con-
ferva, which was so great a treub!e in the old one.
The size is 145 Let square, and when full will have
a depth of 14 feet of water, giving a total capacity
of about 2, 000,000 gallons, sufficient to supply the
town for five or six days. There are additional
service mains in this reservoir on the 13ewdley Hill
and Blakebrook side -of the borough, and so the
friction which was formerly constantly felt is ob-
viated. The walls are of brick and cement, with
a puddle wall outside the brick work. The roof is
supported by a large number of cast-iron columns
with wrought-iron girders and concrete arches, and
on the top is two feet of earth, so that the water
within will be kept cool and free from any contam-
inating influences. There are four engines kept
constantly engaged pumping out of the artesian
wells into the reservoir, and in future there should
be no camplrint of an insufficient supply of water.
After Mr. Potter had turned on the mains, he de-
clared the . reservoirs duly opened, and a number
of complimentary toasts were proposed and re
sponded to.