The Reservoirs Around London

Reservoirs house the supply of water that is going to become potable (safe for us to drink) and with London's population (over 9 million people) and businesses the city needs a lot of water. This water comes from the numerous reservoirs around the city with them mostly concentrated in two areas, the first is around the Thames, just west of Greater London, and the other is around the River Lea, along its length through and beyond London.

Whilst London has many reservoirs you might have never seen one (or noticed that you've seen one) this is because the edges are just large grass slopes. This means the only indication that you're travelling next to one is an oddly uniform steep grass hill (which is usually populated by sheep).

Creating the Reservoirs

The vast quantity of water of Staines Reservoir with the Heathrow ATC in the background
Heathrow ATC from Staines Reservoir

The reservoirs which serve London are partly formed by excavating the ground but are mostly created by building a bund which fully encircles the water. To stop the water going back into the water table an impermeable layer is needed around the base and sides which is usually formed of clay. This large size and the months the water is stored for also has the advantage of letting dirt and some impurities settle on the floor of the reservoir which partially cleans the water.

Staines Reservoir

Staines Reservoir with the top of some of Thorpe Park's rides just visible
The top of Thorpe Park is just visible

Unlike most reservoirs where you can only see the water on satellite imagery (or by using a drone) Staines Reservoir has a public footpath through the middle of its two sections. The footpath let's you appreciate the vast quantity of water a relatively small reservoir has, which puts into perspective London's water needs and subsequently its population. There are also phenomenal views because of the reservoir's elevated vantage point with the sights including planes landing and taking off from Heathrow, the Heathrow air traffic control tower, and the top of some rides at Thorpe Park.

The Largest Reservoir (in the London Area)

The Wraysbury Reservoir is just visible from the other side of the M25
The water of Wraysbury Reservoir is just visible

The Queen Mother Reservoir (not to be confused with the Queen Mary Reservoir or the Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir) is located just east of Dachet and about 2 miles west of Heathrow Airport. With a surface area of 1.92 square kilometres and a volume of 31,492,000 cubic metres (31 Giga litres) of water this reservoir alone, when full, could give each of the 9 million Londoners 3.5 cubic metres of water. Despite being so large it is only the 18th largest reservoir in the UK showing the quantity of water needed to power a country.

Ecology

Reservoirs because of their large size and unobstructed view are perfect places for birdwatching. With the unique environment some very rare species of bird are spotted, with on the Queen Mother Reservoir the Lesser Scaup, Roseate Tern, Sabine's Gull, Grey-headed Wagtail and Buff-bellied Pipits being observed this century.

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