296 FORESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 
acres (reservoirs not included) owned by three local 
authorities. 
Dublin obtains its water supply from the Roundwood 
reservoir in Co. Wicklow, which is situated on the Vartry 
River, at an elevation of 693 feet above sea-level. The 
catchment area, 13,700 acres in extent, consists mainly of 
a plateau between 700 and 900 feet elevation, but extends 
on the west to a chain of mountains ranging from 1580 to 
2584 feet, the highest point being the summit of Douce, 
while on the east it ascends to a ridge varying between 
800 and 1200 feet elevation. The Corporation own 
550 acres here, comprising the reservoir with 409 acres of 
water surface and 141 acres of filter beds and other 
adjoining land. A second reservoir, in course of construction 
on the river Vartry higher up, has a gathering ground of 
9000 acres, being part of the 13,700 acres already mentioned, 
as the catchment area has not been increased. The 
Corporation have acquired here 510 acres, comprising the 
site of the new reservoir, which will have 303 acres of 
water surface and 207 acres of adjoining land. The catch- 
ment area, mainly hill pasture and moorland, with a 
small proportion of arable land, is sparsely populated, the 
few dwellings being small farmhouses or labourers’ cottages, 
with no drainage system. The village of Roundwood is 
technically within the catchment area, but the entire 
drainage is intercepted and diverted by an open cutting, 
which discharges into the river Vartry below the filter beds. 
The Corporation have had under consideration the desirability 
of acquiring the whole catchment area, but it was considered 
unnecessary to do so. “The Vartry water is very pure. 
It is chemically examined every day, and the results rarely 
show any variation, the highest standard of purity being 
maintained.” 
On the land owned by the Corporation around the old 
reservoir 50 acres of plantations were made about 45 
years ago. These have been very valuable for shelter and 
ornament. The timber is now coming into use for fencing, 
