452 REPORT — 1873. 



After obtaining their powers the Corporation put them into operation at 

 once, and commenced the construction of the large system of works from 

 which the town is now supplied. 



Some of the reservoirs, conduits, and other works which are to form parts 

 of the same system are not yet completed. 



All the Bradford waterworks are gravitation works ; there are no pumping- 

 engines or other means employed for raising water from streams or wells. 

 The water is collected at siich levels that it can be conveyed directly into the 

 reservoirs for storage and supply. The sources of supply which are available 

 are therefore more limited in extent than would be the case if the water was 

 lifted from some lower level ; but, on the other hand, the water is more free 

 from pollution and is softer and of better quality. 



No filtering of any kind is required ; the water is supplied directly from 

 the reservoirs into the distributing mains. The reservoirs act as subsiding 

 reservoirs, and are found to be quite sufficient to render the water clean and 

 bright. 



The district of supply of the Bradford Waterworks is not confined to the 

 borough, but includes thirty-four of the surrounding towns and places, viz. : — 



Addingham. Heaton. 



Adwalton, Hundsworth. 



Allerton. Idle. 



Apperley. Liversedge. 



Bingley. Morton. 



Birstal. North Bierley. 



Burnsal. Pudsey. 



Calverley. Queensbury. 



Clayton. Saltaire. 



Cleckheaton. Shelf. 



Denholme. Shipley. 



Draughton. Silsden. 



Driglinton. Thornton. 



Eccleshill. Tong. 



Parsley. Wike. 



Gildersome. Wilsdcn. 



Gomersal. Windhill. 



With an aggregate population at the present time of not less than 280,000. 



The levels of the district of supply vary greatly, viz. from 200 feet 

 above the sea at Apperley to 1200 feet above the sea at Queensbury, making 

 a diiference of 1000 feet of elevation to be covered by the distribution of the 

 water. The supply is given in two separate services, called the high-level 

 service and the low-level service, the high-level service being again divided 

 and served by separate mains. All the places at a lower elevation than 500 

 feet above the sea are included in the low-level, and all the places above that 

 height are included in the high-level service. The pressure of water in some 

 of the distributing mains rises to upwards of 200 lbs. on the square inch. 



The sources of supply for the low-level service lie to the north of Bradford 

 in the valleys of the rivers Aire and Wharfe ; various streams and tributaries 

 of these rivers are taken into the reservoirs and conduits. The principal 

 streams taken are the Sand-bed beck, Halton-gill beck, Joy beck. Berry- 

 ground beck, Gill beck, Howgill beck, Barden beck, Hethness GiU, and the 

 Marchup beck in the valley of the river Wharfe, and the Fish beck, Holden 



