375:
300:
598:
202:
550:
364:
783:
26:
159:. In 1808 notice of a bill was given in Parliament for a scheme to provide Birmingham with an organised supply of water. It was opposed, and in 1809 a meeting considered the proposal, appointed a committee, and rejected the idea of the waterworks. A second bill was rejected in 1811. It was not until 1826 that Parliament granted powers constituting
307:
The
Birmingham Corporation Water Act passed in 1892 authorised the purchase of land in Mid Wales on the upper portion of the Rivers Elan and Claerwen. Three reservoirs on the Elan and three on the Claerwen (collectively the
354:
The capacity of the aqueduct was increased with work starting in 1919. By 1921, two 42-inch-diameter (1,100 mm) mains from Wales delivered about 25 million imperial gallons (110,000 m) per day.
163:
the
Company of Proprietors of the Birmingham Waterworks for the purpose of providing a sufficient and constant supply of good and wholesome water for domestic, manufacturing and other purposes
171:. The initial supply was intermittent. In 1849, the corporation made an agreement with the company for a constant supply in certain districts. By 1853 a constant supply was universal.
156:
42:
632:
230:
We have not the slightest intention of making profit... We shall get our profit indirectly in the comfort of the town and in the health of the inhabitants
816:
247:
811:
539:
806:
744:
422:
223:
312:") were authorised, together with an aqueduct to carry the water to Birmingham. The engineer for the Elan aqueduct scheme was
597:
517:
222:, and completed on 1 January 1876 for the sum of £1,350,000 (equivalent to £160,405,360 in 2023). Chamberlain declared to a
622:
582:
786:
427:
328:
performed the official opening on 21 July 1904 although building works were not completed until near the end of 1906.
759:
532:
193:
By 1873 the total quantity supplied was around 3,000 million imperial gallons (14,000,000 m) per annum.
764:
729:
587:
577:
572:
266:. These provided 20 million imperial gallons (91,000 m) per day. There were 14 reservoirs (including
709:
678:
719:
673:
391:
218:
to purchase the
Birmingham Waterworks Company. The transaction was supervised by the Mayor of Birmingham,
749:
612:
525:
374:
699:
617:
511:
Proceedings of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 1910
259:
168:
299:
734:
653:
201:
668:
658:
637:
243:
215:
127:
754:
309:
183:
31:
482:
714:
663:
567:
547:
368:
271:
179:
8:
769:
739:
382:
cover set into the pavement outside a house in north
Birmingham, with the initials "CBWD"
317:
279:
187:
285:
By 1891, population growth in the city was causing demand for water to outstrip supply.
238:, Plant's Brook and Perry Stream were used as sources. The corporation dug six wells at
724:
449:
395:
336:
219:
52:
401:
The city council later took unsuccessful legal action to recover its lost investment.
704:
502:
Steam nostalgia: locomotive and railway preservation in Great
Britain. Gerald Nabarro
344:
418:
282:) with a total capacity of 628.5 million imperial gallons (2,857,000 m).
455:
325:
321:
267:
205:
Pediment of Elan
Aqueduct valve house with "Birmingham Corporation Water" wording
175:
363:
460:
456:"The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)"
387:
313:
800:
627:
348:
332:
294:
386:
Birmingham
Corporation Water Department existed until 1974 when, under the
275:
235:
553:
549:
263:
251:
140:
115:
95:
25:
255:
379:
340:
99:
239:
196:
190:, built to feed local canals, a hundred years previously.
186:
and built in 1870. There is no connection to the nearby
155:
The earliest formal supply of water was offered by the
417:
143:, England, from 1876 to 1974. It was also known as
423:"Grade II - Birmingham Waterworks Tower (1343154)"
483:"Powys Digital History Project: Elan Valley Dams"
214:The Birmingham Corporation Act of 1875 empowered
798:
390:, its responsibilities were transferred to the
533:
367:City of Birmingham Water Department sign at
316:. Construction work started in 1893 and the
145:Birmingham Corporation Waterworks Department
442:
139:was responsible for the supply of water to
540:
526:
150:
24:
817:Water supply in Birmingham, West Midlands
452:inflation figures are based on data from
373:
362:
298:
200:
197:Birmingham Corporation Water Department
137:Birmingham Corporation Water Department
19:Birmingham Corporation Water Department
799:
167:The area to be supplied used only the
521:
453:
209:
812:Health in Birmingham, West Midlands
13:
428:National Heritage List for England
14:
828:
807:Former water companies of England
782:
781:
596:
548:
358:
335:discharged into two reservoirs:
288:
320:was built to aid construction.
178:Birmingham Waterworks Tower at
30:Birmingham Waterworks Tower by
505:
496:
475:
411:
1:
404:
303:Foel Tower in the Elan Valley
157:Birmingham Waterworks Company
43:Birmingham Waterworks Company
392:Severn Trent Water Authority
53:Severn Trent Water Authority
7:
10:
833:
292:
778:
692:
646:
605:
594:
560:
260:Selly Oak Pumping Station
121:
108:
88:
73:
58:
48:
38:
23:
454:Clark, Gregory (2017).
151:Early history 1808–1876
128:Birmingham City Council
383:
371:
310:Elan Valley Reservoirs
304:
234:The rivers Bourne and
232:
216:Birmingham Corporation
206:
184:John Henry Chamberlain
165:
32:John Henry Chamberlain
623:Parks and open spaces
583:Science and invention
377:
366:
302:
228:
204:
161:
369:Perry Barr Reservoir
180:Edgbaston Waterworks
318:Elan Valley Railway
188:Edgbaston Reservoir
123:Parent organization
20:
450:Retail Price Index
396:Severn Trent Water
384:
372:
337:Frankley Reservoir
305:
220:Joseph Chamberlain
210:Early developments
207:
18:
794:
793:
613:Constituent areas
345:Bartley Reservoir
133:
132:
824:
785:
784:
730:Listed buildings
600:
578:Military history
573:Economic history
552:
542:
535:
528:
519:
518:
512:
509:
503:
500:
494:
493:
491:
489:
479:
473:
472:
470:
468:
446:
440:
439:
437:
435:
419:Historic England
415:
224:House of Commons
182:was designed by
84:
82:
69:
67:
28:
21:
17:
832:
831:
827:
826:
825:
823:
822:
821:
797:
796:
795:
790:
774:
710:Classical music
688:
642:
601:
592:
556:
546:
516:
515:
510:
506:
501:
497:
487:
485:
481:
480:
476:
466:
464:
447:
443:
433:
431:
416:
412:
407:
361:
326:Queen Alexandra
322:King Edward VII
297:
291:
268:Aston Reservoir
262:survives), and
212:
199:
153:
124:
111:
104:
80:
78:
65:
63:
34:
12:
11:
5:
830:
820:
819:
814:
809:
792:
791:
779:
776:
775:
773:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
720:Food and drink
717:
712:
707:
702:
696:
694:
690:
689:
687:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
650:
648:
644:
643:
641:
640:
635:
633:Tall buildings
630:
625:
620:
615:
609:
607:
603:
602:
595:
593:
591:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
564:
562:
558:
557:
545:
544:
537:
530:
522:
514:
513:
504:
495:
474:
461:MeasuringWorth
441:
409:
408:
406:
403:
388:Water Act 1973
360:
357:
314:James Mansergh
293:Main article:
290:
287:
211:
208:
198:
195:
152:
149:
131:
130:
125:
122:
119:
118:
112:
110:Region served
109:
106:
105:
103:
102:
92:
90:
86:
85:
75:
71:
70:
60:
56:
55:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
29:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
829:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
804:
802:
789:
788:
777:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
750:Popular music
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
697:
695:
691:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
651:
649:
645:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
628:Redevelopment
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
610:
608:
604:
599:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
565:
563:
559:
555:
551:
543:
538:
536:
531:
529:
524:
523:
520:
508:
499:
484:
478:
463:
462:
457:
451:
445:
430:
429:
424:
420:
414:
410:
402:
399:
397:
394:which is now
393:
389:
381:
376:
370:
365:
359:Later history
356:
352:
350:
349:Bartley Green
346:
342:
338:
334:
333:Elan aqueduct
329:
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
301:
296:
295:Elan aqueduct
289:Elan aqueduct
286:
283:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
231:
227:
225:
221:
217:
203:
194:
191:
189:
185:
181:
177:
174:The Grade II
172:
170:
164:
160:
158:
148:
146:
142:
138:
129:
126:
120:
117:
113:
107:
101:
97:
94:
93:
91:
87:
76:
72:
61:
57:
54:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
33:
27:
22:
16:
780:
700:Architecture
684:Water supply
683:
507:
498:
486:. Retrieved
477:
465:. Retrieved
459:
444:
432:. Retrieved
426:
413:
400:
385:
353:
330:
306:
284:
276:Witton Lakes
233:
229:
213:
192:
173:
166:
162:
154:
144:
136:
134:
15:
434:24 February
248:King's Vale
244:Short Heath
39:Predecessor
801:Categories
760:Public Art
735:Literature
654:Government
647:Government
618:Demography
554:Birmingham
405:References
272:Perry Barr
264:Longbridge
252:Perry Barr
169:River Tame
141:Birmingham
116:Birmingham
96:Birmingham
669:Education
638:Transport
606:Geography
378:Domestic
280:Brookvale
256:Selly Oak
226:committee
74:Dissolved
59:Formation
49:Successor
787:Category
755:Religion
588:Timeline
380:stopcock
341:Frankley
114:City of
89:Location
715:Culture
693:Culture
679:Schools
664:Economy
659:Council
568:History
561:History
100:England
79: (
64: (
745:People
236:Blythe
176:listed
770:Sport
765:Songs
740:Media
488:9 May
467:7 May
240:Aston
725:Jazz
674:Flag
490:2012
469:2024
436:2010
343:and
331:The
324:and
278:and
135:The
81:1974
77:1974
66:1876
62:1876
705:Art
448:UK
347:at
339:at
803::
458:.
425:.
421:.
398:.
351:.
274:,
270:,
254:,
250:,
246:,
242:,
147:.
98:,
541:e
534:t
527:v
492:.
471:.
438:.
308:"
258:(
83:)
68:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.