Prospect reservoir
Encyclopedia
Prospect Reservoir is a water storage reservoir
located at the headwaters of Prospect Creek
in the Greater Western Sydney
suburb of Prospect
, in New South Wales
, Australia
. The dam wall is known as Prospect Dam.
and was granted 500 acres (2 km²) at Prospect, which he named Vereran Hall. He built a 40-room mansion there. He died on the property on 16 June 1850 and the property was eventually acquired by the Metropolitan Water Board
. The house was demolished in 1926 and most of the property is submerged. .
.
In May 1940 the reservoir became a part of the Warragamba Emergency Scheme. Pipes were constructed to deliver water 26 kilometres from Warragamba. From Prospect the water traveled by aqueduct into Sydney. In parts this waterway was uncovered and locals actually swam in it.
. The reservoir remains a part of Sydney Water's storage network, however it is anticipated that it will only be utilised for water supply purposes on average of five days in any five year period . As the site attracts up to half a million visitors annually, recreational use of the site is carefully managed to ensure the water remains suitable for supplementing Sydney Water's requirements.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
located at the headwaters of Prospect Creek
Prospect Creek (New South Wales)
Prospect Creek is a small creek in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It flows from the Prospect reservoir for about 17 km until joining the Georges River at Georges Hall into the Dhurawal bay, in the Chipping Norton Lake system.As the reservoir forms a part of the...
in the Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
suburb of Prospect
Prospect, New South Wales
Prospect is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Prospect is located 32 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
, in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The dam wall is known as Prospect Dam.
History of the site
Shortly after 1808, William Lawson was appointed aide-de-camp to George JohnstonGeorge Johnston (New South Wales)
Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston was briefly Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales, Australia after leading the rebellion later known as the Rum Rebellion....
and was granted 500 acres (2 km²) at Prospect, which he named Vereran Hall. He built a 40-room mansion there. He died on the property on 16 June 1850 and the property was eventually acquired by the Metropolitan Water Board
Sydney Water
Sydney Water is a New South Wales government owned corporation that provides drinking water, wastewater and some stormwater services to Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains, in Australia...
. The house was demolished in 1926 and most of the property is submerged. .
Construction
The dam itself was the first earthfill embankment dam in Australia, being completed in 1888. At the time it was intended to deliver water to the reservoir from the Nepean RiverNepean River
The Nepean River is a river in the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia.The headwaters of the Nepean River rise near Robertson, about 100 kilometres south of Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the coast. The river flows north in an unpopulated water catchment area into Nepean Dam, which...
.
In May 1940 the reservoir became a part of the Warragamba Emergency Scheme. Pipes were constructed to deliver water 26 kilometres from Warragamba. From Prospect the water traveled by aqueduct into Sydney. In parts this waterway was uncovered and locals actually swam in it.
Continuing use
Since the Prospect Water Filtration Plant was completed in 1996, untreated water is generally not drawn from Prospect reservoir any more. Instead, the water is piped to the filtration plant directly from Warragamba DamWarragamba Dam
Warragamba Dam is the primary water source for the Australian city of Sydney. It is approximately to the west of Sydney on the Warragamba River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, and impounds Lake Burragorang.- Overview :...
. The reservoir remains a part of Sydney Water's storage network, however it is anticipated that it will only be utilised for water supply purposes on average of five days in any five year period . As the site attracts up to half a million visitors annually, recreational use of the site is carefully managed to ensure the water remains suitable for supplementing Sydney Water's requirements.
External links
- Aerial photograph, Looking W at Clunnies Ross Basin and Prospect Reservoir - from Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust website
- Tony Maston Photographs Gallery with a number of images relating to the reservoir dating from 1920.