A Magnificent Water Supply.

Manawatu Herald, 31 March 1894, Page 3

A Magnificent Water Supply.

o Early this year Manchester will have completed the new water supply from Lake ThMtnere. In 1851 water was obtained from Longendale and in a few years the consumption from that, source rose to eight millions of gallons a day. As the consumption kept on increasing, a further supply had to be sought for, and by the advice of Mr Bateman, Thirlmere was decided upon. It was found that the elevation is £38 feet, and splendidly fixed for supplying water by gravitation to Manchester and neighbourhood. The area of the lake at its present levelis about 880 acres, and the drainage ground from which water;, may : be" collected about 11,000 acres.. This, ground is exceedingly steep, yields excellent water, and lies in the heart of the heaviest rainfall., As a matter of fact far more rain falls at Thirlmere than at Manchester. It is sometimes called Leathes Water and Wythburn Water, and is situate/ in the county of Cumberland, adjoining the road leading from Grasraere to Keswick, about five miles from the latter. The lake is about thcee miles long, and in its widest part a little over a quarter of a mile across. Its greatest natural'depth is about 112 feet. The lake is divided into two parts, called the higher arid the lower lakes, connected near .the middle by a narrow and shallow channel. Kaised 60 feef above ifcs normal level, as it will be by an embankment at the northern end, the lake impounds an immense' additional store -of. .water. The quantity is estimated, by a nice calculation, at 8,135,000,000 gallons, sufficient to give to Manchester a supply of 50,000.000 gallons daily for 150 days, even' though no rain .'./ should fall "during that period. Tb.3 site has been described ;by Sir John Harwood, who says:'— 11 From the very appearance and character of its surroundings the valley might have been made for the purpose of a gathering ground tor' 1 water. It is situated in the- heart of the heaviest rainfall in the country. The mountains surrounding it consist of Silurian rock; are exceedingly steep, and are covered with very little verdure, so that the rain which falls flows direct into the lake, and sometimes 15 or 16 cascades or watercourses can be seen at once running down the mountain slopes, quite pure and as clear as crystal."