Gryffe Reservoir
Encyclopedia
The Gryffe Reservoirs are two reservoirs, known as Gryffe No. 1 and Gryffe No. 2, located in Inverclyde
in the west central Lowlands
of Scotland
.
The larger reservoir, Gryffe No. 1, is adjacent to Loch Thom
with Gryffe No. 2 connecting immediately to the east. Together, they are occasionally known as Loch Gryffe.
The reservoirs are fed from a stream rising on Creuch Hill. Their outflow, the Gryffe Water, joins with the Green Water to form the River Gryffe near Kilmacolm
.
. The construction was authorised by an Act of Parliament
in 1866 following the typhus
epidemic
of 1864, related to a continuing problem with unsafe water, which resulted in thousands of deaths in the town.
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
in the west central Lowlands
Central Lowlands
The Central Lowlands or Midland Valley is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and the Southern Uplands Fault to the south...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The larger reservoir, Gryffe No. 1, is adjacent to Loch Thom
Loch Thom
Loch Thom is a reservoir which since 1827 has provided a water supply to the town of Greenock in Inverclyde, Scotland. It is named after the civil engineer Robert Thom who designed the scheme which created the reservoir and delivered water via a long aqueduct known as The Cut...
with Gryffe No. 2 connecting immediately to the east. Together, they are occasionally known as Loch Gryffe.
The reservoirs are fed from a stream rising on Creuch Hill. Their outflow, the Gryffe Water, joins with the Green Water to form the River Gryffe near Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
.
History
The reservoirs were completed in 1872 to provide clean drinking water to GreenockGreenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
. The construction was authorised by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1866 following the typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
of 1864, related to a continuing problem with unsafe water, which resulted in thousands of deaths in the town.