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 to serve the sewage
systems and to be drinking water for the growing
population.
The newly formed Bradford Corporation scoured the countryside
for suitable sites for reservoirs to 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.
Where were the reservoirs
built?
