The growing demand for water
Why were the reservoirs built? In the 19th century urban areas, such as Bradford and Leeds increased in size due to the Industrial Revolution. The sky-line of Bradford became littered with the outline of mills as large factories were built for the textile industry. West and South Yorkshire had plentiful supplies of iron ore and coal and the local sandstone made an excellent building material for constructing the giant mills. The soft water of the area was good for washing the raw wool and crucially it provided the power for the ever-growing textile industry. In turn this created the jobs that helped the population of the cities to grow. Cholera, a water borne disease, was rife during this period because the cities' residents were drinking polluted water. There was simply not enough clean water for the sewage systems and as drinking water the the growing population. The newly formed Bradford Corporation scoured the countryside for suitable sites for reservoirs to the meet the increasing demands for clean water. The race was on! For more information on the textile industry and the Industrial Revolution please download our information sheet.
