Vartry Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Vartry Reservoir is a reservoir at Roundwood
in County Wicklow
, Ireland
. The water is piped from Vartry to a large open service reservoir in Stillorgan
in the southern suburbs of Dublin. The reservoir is operated by Dublin City Council
.
The original (lower) reservoir was completed in 1863, and has a capacity of 11.3 billion litres and a maximum depth of 18.3 meters. A second embankment, 3.5 km upstream, was completed in 1923 to form the upper reservoir. This has a capacity of 5.6 billion litres and a maximum depth of 13.4 metres.
The Vartry Reservoir scheme involved the partial redirection and damming of the Vartry river, the building of a series of water piping and filtering systems (and related public works) to carry fresh water to the city.
Between 1862 and 1868 the lower reservoir was formed by constructing an earthen dam across the valley of the River Vartry
after a Dublin Water Works Committee was established to develop a new water supply to Dublin and suburbs. The committee was chaired by Dr. John Gray
who actively promoted what would become the "Vartry scheme". The scheme was formally opened on June 30 1863.
This work was particularly important in the improvement of living conditions and public health in Dublin city. It improved sanitation and helped reduce outbreaks of cholera, typhus and other diseases associated with contaminated water.
Roundwood
Roundwood, historically known as Tochar , is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It was listed as having a population of 589 in the census of 2006....
in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The water is piped from Vartry to a large open service reservoir in Stillorgan
Stillorgan
Stillorgan , formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, and contains many housing estates, shops and other facilities, with the old village centre still present...
in the southern suburbs of Dublin. The reservoir is operated by Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
.
The original (lower) reservoir was completed in 1863, and has a capacity of 11.3 billion litres and a maximum depth of 18.3 meters. A second embankment, 3.5 km upstream, was completed in 1923 to form the upper reservoir. This has a capacity of 5.6 billion litres and a maximum depth of 13.4 metres.
History
Between 1862 and 1868 the lower reservoir was formed by constructing an earthen dam across the valley of the River Vartry
River Vartry
The River Vartry is a river in Ireland. It rises in Calary Bog under the Great Sugar Loaf mountain in north County Wicklow. In 1861 Parliament passed the Dublin Waterworks Act creating the project to dam the River Vartry in Roundwood to form the Vartry Reservoir. This was completed in 1865 and...
after a Dublin Water Works Committee was established to develop a new water supply to Dublin and suburbs. The committee was chaired by Dr. John Gray
John Gray (Irish politician)
Sir John Gray Knt MD JP, sometimes spelled John Grey was an Irish physician, surgeon, newspaper proprietor, journalist and politician...
who actively promoted what would become the "Vartry scheme". The scheme was formally opened on June 30 1863.
This work was particularly important in the improvement of living conditions and public health in Dublin city. It improved sanitation and helped reduce outbreaks of cholera, typhus and other diseases associated with contaminated water.