WATER CATCHMENT AEEAS 239 



be kept. The grazing of cattle is not allowed within 100 

 yards of the streams. The water is filtered. 



Cardiff obtains its supply of domestic water at present 

 from a gathering ground of 4000 acres, at the head of the 

 Taff Fawr Eiver in Brecknockshire. There are two reservoirs, 

 Beacons reservoir at 1340 feet and Cantreff reservoir at 

 1073 feet elevation, the highest point on the area being 

 Brecon Beacons, 2910 feet. The Council have purchased 

 728 acres of this area, and have planted 25 acres with trees 

 vip to February 1918. "Prof. Fraser Story advised the 

 Council regarding afforestation ; and a deputation was sent 

 to interview the Development Commissioners, but little help 

 or encouragement was given at the time." Upon the parts 

 privately owned, there are no buildings except a house 

 belonging to the Corporation, and steps are taken to prevent 

 any contamination. Adjacent to the preceding gathering 

 ground is the lower catchment area of Taff Fawr, on which 

 the Llwynon reservoir is being built at 8 5 feet elevation ; 

 but the work of construction was stopped in November 1915. 

 This area comprises 6000 acres, between 850 and 2000 

 feet elevation, and of it 1248 acres are owned by the 

 Corporation. The average rainfall varies from 7 6 "9 6 inches 

 at the Beacons reservoir to 60*31 inches at the Llwynon 

 reservoir. The water is filtered. 



Cardiff has also another gathering ground", with two 

 reservoirs at Llanishen and Lisvane, about four miles north 

 of the city, comprising 2000 acres mainly over limestone, 

 mostly arable land with some pasture and woods, extending 

 on the north to the Caerphilly hills and on the east to Cefn 

 Mably Park. Recently considerable building has taken 

 place of a suburban character. The Corporation own no 

 part of this area, the water of which has not been utilised 

 for domestic purposes for many years past. Owing to the 

 non-completion of the Llwynon reservoir, the Lisvane gather- 

 ing ground may shortly be used to supplement the water 

 from the Taff Fawr ; and this would entail steps being taken 

 to prevent contamination of the water of the several streams. 



