Milngavie water treatment works
Encyclopedia
Milngavie
Milngavie , is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden....
water treatment works is the primary source of the water for the city of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(and the Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area...
area) in western 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...
. Part of the Victorian Loch Katrine
Loch Katrine
Loch Katrine is a freshwater loch in the district of Stirling, Scotland. It is roughly 8 miles long by 2/3 of a mile wide and runs the length of Strath Gartney...
water project, construction was started in 1855 and the works was opened by Queen Victoria in 1859, replacing the previous water supply sourced from the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
at Cuningar Loop
Cuningar Loop
The Cuningar Loop is a meander on the River Clyde at Dalmarnock.The first Glasgow Water Company's Act was obtained in 1806, and the company began to supply water early in 1809. Before the Victorian Loch Katrine aqueduct project was completed in the 1850s, it supplied water to Glasgow...
in Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. It is bounded by the Clyde to the south and east, Parkhead to the north, and Bridgeton at Dunn Street to the north west...
.
Its completion led to the virtual eradication of typhoid and cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, diseases which were widespread at the time, from the city. The success of the project was marked by the erection of the Stewart Memorial Fountain in Kelvingrove Park
Kelvingrove Park
Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the world-famous Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.-History:...
. The works were described by James M. Gale as worthy to "bear comparison with the most extensive aqueducts in the world, not excluding those of ancient Rome".
The first aqueduct project was built under the guidance of John Frederick Bateman
John Frederick Bateman
John Frederick Bateman was an English civil engineer whose work formed the basis of the modern United Kingdom water supply industry. For over 50 years from 1835 he designed and constructed reservoirs and waterworks. His largest project was the system that supplied Manchester with much of its...
(an example of his engineering prowess that can still be seen working today). A second aqueduct was completed in 1901.
The works are currently operated by Scottish Water
Scottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation in Scotland that provides water and sewerage services. Unlike in England and Wales, water and sewerage provision in Scotland continues as a public corporation accountable to the public through the Scottish Government....
and at average demand, it can supply enough potable water to those it serves for up to 7 days. Its primary supply is via two aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s from Loch Katrine
Loch Katrine
Loch Katrine is a freshwater loch in the district of Stirling, Scotland. It is roughly 8 miles long by 2/3 of a mile wide and runs the length of Strath Gartney...
in the north, that run 26 miles, and can deliver up to 50,000,000 gallons a day. Milngavie itself is situated at almost 400ft above sea level - sufficient to provide adequate water pressure to the majority of Glasgow without the need for pumping. The Milngavie reservoirs distribute water to secondary reservoirs, such as Cockmuir Reservoir in Springburn
Springburn
Springburn is an inner city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, home to various working and middle-class households.Springburn developed from a small rural hamlet at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Its industrial expansion began with the establishment of a chemical...
Park, and various Water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
s throughout the city.
The reservoirs are a common attraction for walkers, cyclists and photographers, who take advantage of the peripheral walkways that verge on Mugdock Country Park
Mugdock Country Park
Mugdock Country Park is a country park and historical site located partly in East Dunbartonshire and partly in Stirling, in the former county of Stirlingshire, Scotland...
, and offer views over the Glasgow area.
Reservoirs
MilngavieMilngavie
Milngavie , is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden....
water treatment works has three reservoirs, Craigmaddie Reservoir to the East and Mugdock Reservoir to the West. Bankell Reservoir is situated to the North of Craigmaddie Reservoir. During the assembly of the new water treatment facilities, both the Mugdock and Craigmaddie reservoirs were drained in 2005 and 2006 respectively to facilitate the laying of pipes to and from the plant, and the resultant scene from Craigmaddie reservoir can be seen above. Special consideration had to be taken for the draining of the reservoirs, as they had never been drained in 150 years of operation.
Craigmaddie Reservoir
The Craigmaddie service reservoir was built and opened in 1896 to cater for increased demand.Bankell Reservoir
The new, third, reservoir is named Bankell Reservoir, and went into operation on the 26 May 2006. Holding 20 million gallons, the Bankell Reservoir is 80% underground to minimize ecological impact. It is one of the largest treated water holding tanks in the world.The new reservoir and treatment works were developed in the wake of the discovery of the waterborne cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a protozoan that can cause gastro-intestinal illness with diarrhea in humans.Cryptosporidium is the organism most commonly isolated in HIV positive patients presenting with diarrhea...
parasite in Mugdock Reservoir on 4 August 2002, as a result of the 2002 Glasgow floods
2002 Glasgow floods
The 2002 Glasgow floods were a series of Flash floods that occurred after Thunderstorms in the Scottish Lowlands in late July and early August 2002. The heaviest rainfall fell on the night of Tuesday 30 July 2002....
. Cryptosporidium can cause severe diarrhoea. About 140,000 people in Glasgow were affected, they were told not to drink tap water
Tap water
Tap water is a principal component of "indoor plumbing", which became available in urban areas of the developed world during the last quarter of the 19th century, and common during the mid-20th century...
without boiling it first.
Statistics
- Officially opened: 14 October 1859
- Capacity: 548 million gallons
Bankell is a service reservoir holding potable water i.e. treated and chlorinated which is fit for human consumption. Mugdock and Craigmaddie are reservoirs holding raw untreated water.