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Cardiff Corporation Waterworks
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Cardiff Corporation Waterworks
Cardiff Corporation Waterworks, its predecessors and successors have provided a public water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment services to the Welsh city of Cardiff since 1850.
In the early 19th century, most of Cardiff was built on land overlaying gravel beds, which extended to the north and west of the populated area. Residents obtained their water from private and public wells, dug down into the gravel beds. The town was split into two parishes in 1841, St John the Baptist and St Mary, and at that time the population was 10,077. The main public well was in the High Street, although water was also obtained from the River Taff and the Glamorganshire Canal. Industrial development, notably the construction of the West Bute Dock in 1839 and the Taff Vale Railway to connect the dock to the railway system, meant that the population began to increase significantly, and the need to provide a better water supply became urgent.
In 1850 a private company obtained the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. lxix) allowing them to build a water works, with which to supply water to the town, the port, and a number of surrounding villages. The Cardiff Waterworks Company had an authorised capital of £20,000, but soon found that this was not sufficient to complete the works, and so went back to Parliament. They obtained a new act of Parliament, the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. xxiv), on 14 June 1853, which repealed the first one, and allowed them to raise more capital. They constructed a pumping station at Ely, close to the River Ely, some 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of the town centre. Water from the river entered a settling pool, and was then filtered before being pumped to a service reservoir at Penhill, Llandaff, to the north of the town, from where a network of pipes allowed it to reach the town and the docks by gravity. Subsequently, the supply was increased by a culvert built along the south side of the river, which collected water from springs and the water bearing strata nearby.
Cardiff continued to expand, with the opening of the Rhymney Railway in 1858 and the Bute East Dock the following year, and so the water company obtained a third act, the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. cv), allowing them to increase their capital resources and the geographical area which they supplied. Works included a storage reservoir at Lisvane, with a catchment area of 2,200 acres (890 ha), collecting water from the Llanishen, Nant Mawr, Nant Draw, Nant Felin and Nant Dulas. Pipes were laid from the reservoir to intakes on each of the streams, and filter beds were constructed on the outlet from the reservoir. In order to supply Penarth, some 4 miles (6.4 km) to the south-west of the town centre, a low-level service reservoir was built at Cogan, from where pumps raised the water 170 feet (52 m) to a distribution reservoir at Llandough, which was sufficiently high to supply Penarth by gravity. Water was supplied to a number of surrounding parishes, the total area of supply being 41.85 square miles (108.4 km2). The company could not take more than 3 million imperial gallons (14 megalitres) (Ml) per day from the River Ely, but that and the Lisvane reservoir remained sufficient until 1878. The reservoir held 80 million imperial gallons (360 Ml) of water.
In 1875, Cardiff Corporation obtained parliamentary approval to buy out the Cardiff Waterworks Company, but failed to reach an agreement with them at the time. The company sought a fourth act of Parliament, the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. cxliv), to enable them to construct additional works at Ely, and a new reservoir at Llanishen to supplement the supply to Cardiff and to extend their area of supply to parts of Llandaff and Whitchurch. The corporation again tried to buy out the company, but still could not reach agreement, so decided to oppose the company's bill, on the basis that the new works would not be adequate for the future requirements of Cardiff. On the day before the bill was due to appear before the House of Commons committee, the company agreed to sell, for a price of £300,000, resulting in the corporation withdrawing their objections. They paid the costs of getting the bill through Parliament, and also redeemed the company's debenture bonds, at a cost of £20,450.
Parliamentary approval for the purchase of the company and authority to borrow £470,000 was obtained in 1879. The corporation took possession of the works on 29 September 1879, but the deed confirming the transfer of ownership was not signed until 24 December. The payment of the money was not without drama, as the corporation wanted to use two cheques, one for £165,000 drawn on the National Provincial Bank, and another for £135,000 drawn on the Brecon Old Bank. Two days before the final purchase, the company declined to accept the cheques, despite assurances from the banks that they would be honoured, and so the corporation elected to pay in gold. The company realised the enormous task of counting that much money, and so the banks requested the Bank of England to print two special notes, for the two amounts agreed. On the final day, officers from the corporation collected the note for £165,000 from the National Provincial Bank, but when they got to the Brecon Old Bank, the note had not arrived. They refused to leave the bank even when it closed, and half an hour later, the postman delivered it, enabling the purchase to be completed.
The corporation consulted John Taylor, one of the original directors and promoters of the Cardiff Waterworks Company, who had also been their Engineer, about the works at Ely. In a report produced on 23 September 1880, he recommended that the culverts be extended, and work began on new culverts on the north bank of the river, as a way to quickly increase the volume of water available. In an average year, this increased the resources to 1 million imperial gallons (4.5 Ml) per day, and even in the very dry years of 1884 and 1887, the yield was still 900,000 imperial gallons (4.1 Ml) per day. The cost of the work was £10,614, while the project was managed by John Avery Brandon Williams, who had been Borough Engineer since 14 August 1876, and then became Waterworks Engineer from 11 June 1883. In March 1881, he was asked to produce a report on all possible sources of water for Cardiff, so that planning for the future could begin.
He presented his extensive findings in May and August 1881, and suggested that the best scheme would be to utilise the waters of the Taff Fawr, one of the two sources of the River Taff, on the southern slopes of the Brecon Beacons. He also suggested that the capacity of the Llanishen Reservoir, authorised by the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. cxliv), could be increased from 140 million imperial gallons (640 Ml) to 300 million imperial gallons (1,400 Ml), without exceeding the limits of deviation specified by the Act. Unable to decide the best way to proceed, they asked the water engineer John Frederick Bateman for advice in December 1881, and in June 1882 he confirmed that the Taff Fawr scheme was the best option. Work began at Llanishen soon afterwards, so that surplus water from the Lisvane catchment would not be lost while the Beacons reservoir scheme was being built. The contract for Llanishen Reservoir was awarded to John Mackey, but it is not clear exactly what this included, since the corporation awarded a contract for enlargement works soon after Mackey completed his contract in 1884. Hill Brothers began work on this second phase, but pulled out in July, due to financial difficulties, after which T A Walker took over, completing the work in 1886.
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Cardiff Corporation Waterworks
Cardiff Corporation Waterworks, its predecessors and successors have provided a public water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment services to the Welsh city of Cardiff since 1850.
In the early 19th century, most of Cardiff was built on land overlaying gravel beds, which extended to the north and west of the populated area. Residents obtained their water from private and public wells, dug down into the gravel beds. The town was split into two parishes in 1841, St John the Baptist and St Mary, and at that time the population was 10,077. The main public well was in the High Street, although water was also obtained from the River Taff and the Glamorganshire Canal. Industrial development, notably the construction of the West Bute Dock in 1839 and the Taff Vale Railway to connect the dock to the railway system, meant that the population began to increase significantly, and the need to provide a better water supply became urgent.
In 1850 a private company obtained the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. lxix) allowing them to build a water works, with which to supply water to the town, the port, and a number of surrounding villages. The Cardiff Waterworks Company had an authorised capital of £20,000, but soon found that this was not sufficient to complete the works, and so went back to Parliament. They obtained a new act of Parliament, the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. xxiv), on 14 June 1853, which repealed the first one, and allowed them to raise more capital. They constructed a pumping station at Ely, close to the River Ely, some 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of the town centre. Water from the river entered a settling pool, and was then filtered before being pumped to a service reservoir at Penhill, Llandaff, to the north of the town, from where a network of pipes allowed it to reach the town and the docks by gravity. Subsequently, the supply was increased by a culvert built along the south side of the river, which collected water from springs and the water bearing strata nearby.
Cardiff continued to expand, with the opening of the Rhymney Railway in 1858 and the Bute East Dock the following year, and so the water company obtained a third act, the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. cv), allowing them to increase their capital resources and the geographical area which they supplied. Works included a storage reservoir at Lisvane, with a catchment area of 2,200 acres (890 ha), collecting water from the Llanishen, Nant Mawr, Nant Draw, Nant Felin and Nant Dulas. Pipes were laid from the reservoir to intakes on each of the streams, and filter beds were constructed on the outlet from the reservoir. In order to supply Penarth, some 4 miles (6.4 km) to the south-west of the town centre, a low-level service reservoir was built at Cogan, from where pumps raised the water 170 feet (52 m) to a distribution reservoir at Llandough, which was sufficiently high to supply Penarth by gravity. Water was supplied to a number of surrounding parishes, the total area of supply being 41.85 square miles (108.4 km2). The company could not take more than 3 million imperial gallons (14 megalitres) (Ml) per day from the River Ely, but that and the Lisvane reservoir remained sufficient until 1878. The reservoir held 80 million imperial gallons (360 Ml) of water.
In 1875, Cardiff Corporation obtained parliamentary approval to buy out the Cardiff Waterworks Company, but failed to reach an agreement with them at the time. The company sought a fourth act of Parliament, the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. cxliv), to enable them to construct additional works at Ely, and a new reservoir at Llanishen to supplement the supply to Cardiff and to extend their area of supply to parts of Llandaff and Whitchurch. The corporation again tried to buy out the company, but still could not reach agreement, so decided to oppose the company's bill, on the basis that the new works would not be adequate for the future requirements of Cardiff. On the day before the bill was due to appear before the House of Commons committee, the company agreed to sell, for a price of £300,000, resulting in the corporation withdrawing their objections. They paid the costs of getting the bill through Parliament, and also redeemed the company's debenture bonds, at a cost of £20,450.
Parliamentary approval for the purchase of the company and authority to borrow £470,000 was obtained in 1879. The corporation took possession of the works on 29 September 1879, but the deed confirming the transfer of ownership was not signed until 24 December. The payment of the money was not without drama, as the corporation wanted to use two cheques, one for £165,000 drawn on the National Provincial Bank, and another for £135,000 drawn on the Brecon Old Bank. Two days before the final purchase, the company declined to accept the cheques, despite assurances from the banks that they would be honoured, and so the corporation elected to pay in gold. The company realised the enormous task of counting that much money, and so the banks requested the Bank of England to print two special notes, for the two amounts agreed. On the final day, officers from the corporation collected the note for £165,000 from the National Provincial Bank, but when they got to the Brecon Old Bank, the note had not arrived. They refused to leave the bank even when it closed, and half an hour later, the postman delivered it, enabling the purchase to be completed.
The corporation consulted John Taylor, one of the original directors and promoters of the Cardiff Waterworks Company, who had also been their Engineer, about the works at Ely. In a report produced on 23 September 1880, he recommended that the culverts be extended, and work began on new culverts on the north bank of the river, as a way to quickly increase the volume of water available. In an average year, this increased the resources to 1 million imperial gallons (4.5 Ml) per day, and even in the very dry years of 1884 and 1887, the yield was still 900,000 imperial gallons (4.1 Ml) per day. The cost of the work was £10,614, while the project was managed by John Avery Brandon Williams, who had been Borough Engineer since 14 August 1876, and then became Waterworks Engineer from 11 June 1883. In March 1881, he was asked to produce a report on all possible sources of water for Cardiff, so that planning for the future could begin.
He presented his extensive findings in May and August 1881, and suggested that the best scheme would be to utilise the waters of the Taff Fawr, one of the two sources of the River Taff, on the southern slopes of the Brecon Beacons. He also suggested that the capacity of the Llanishen Reservoir, authorised by the Cardiff Waterworks Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. cxliv), could be increased from 140 million imperial gallons (640 Ml) to 300 million imperial gallons (1,400 Ml), without exceeding the limits of deviation specified by the Act. Unable to decide the best way to proceed, they asked the water engineer John Frederick Bateman for advice in December 1881, and in June 1882 he confirmed that the Taff Fawr scheme was the best option. Work began at Llanishen soon afterwards, so that surplus water from the Lisvane catchment would not be lost while the Beacons reservoir scheme was being built. The contract for Llanishen Reservoir was awarded to John Mackey, but it is not clear exactly what this included, since the corporation awarded a contract for enlargement works soon after Mackey completed his contract in 1884. Hill Brothers began work on this second phase, but pulled out in July, due to financial difficulties, after which T A Walker took over, completing the work in 1886.
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