A reliable water supply is, without a doubt, one of the most vital elements for any city and its inhabitants, and Edinburgh is certainly no exception. Throughout its development, the “Edinburgh Water Company” played a pivotal role. Established in 1819, it was responsible for providing the city with water, as well as managing its sewage and wastewater treatment. Find out more at edinburghname.com.
Interestingly, the company was initially set up to supply residents with drinking water, a task it undertook until 1870. At that point, ownership transferred to a public Water Fund, comprising representatives from Edinburgh, Leith, and Portobello. From this moment on, the organisation’s remit significantly broadened.
The Early Days
Edinburgh’s early history reveals that the city relied on several wells for its water.
In 1676, a significant milestone was reached when water was piped into the city limits for the first time. This involved installing a lead pipe from the Comiston springs.
However, this proved to be insufficient, necessitating the use of additional sources.
Insufficient Expansion
By 1760, the water supply network began to expand.
But with Edinburgh’s considerable population, the water still wasn’t enough for everyone. As a result, many residents were forced to buy their water.
Company Formation
Public concern over the inadequate water supply persisted. This led Francis Jeffrey, editor of the Edinburgh Review, to convene a public meeting. During this gathering, a committee was formed to tackle the “water problem.” The outcome was the creation of the “Edinburgh Water Company,” which effectively sanctioned some previously proposed schemes.
One such idea, put forward by Thomas Telford in 1811, involved sourcing water from the Crawley springs.
James Jardine was appointed engineer of the newly formed company, with responsibility for the Crawley springs pipeline. Telford, meanwhile, became the principal designer.
Construction of the pipeline was completed in 1823, at a cost of approximately £145,000.
An Unforeseen Problem
Just when it seemed the “water problem” was behind them, a severe drought in 1842 caused many streams to dry up.
The Edinburgh Water Company then obtained official permission to use water from the Listonshiels, Bavelaw, and Black Springs.
The company also required two additional reservoirs at Harlaw and Threipmuir. Despite the challenges, Jardine undertook their construction. However, he retired in 1846, leaving James Leslie to see the project through.
While the construction of the Threipmuir reservoir began under Jardine’s supervision, the Harlaw facility was solely Leslie’s work.
Increasing Water Volume
Even before the two additional reservoirs were completed in 1848, Leslie realised they would be insufficient to fully supply Edinburgh’s needs.
He therefore initiated the construction of three more reservoirs at Clubbiedean, Torduff, and Bonaly.
But the company’s plans didn’t stop there. To increase reserve water capacity, they also aimed to raise the dam next to the Glencorse reservoir and begin building a new reservoir at Loganlea.
The Clubbiedean, Torduff, and Bonaly reservoirs were designed to store spring water, ensuring Edinburgh had a supply even during droughts. The enhanced Glencorse reservoir, along with the Loganlea facility, acted as a guarantee that the pipeline from the Crawley spring would always be full, without depriving the mills on the River Esk of water.
Given the crucial outcomes expected from these future works, the construction of the reservoirs proceeded swiftly.
Additional Reservoir
The entire project for the new reservoirs was completed in 1859.
However, it later became clear that this was still not enough to provide the city with a sufficient water supply.
Consequently, in 1863, the Edinburgh Water Company received official permission to utilise the Crosswood source and its additional reservoir.
Significant Improvements
Thanks to Leslie’s work, the “water” structures were significantly improved. When the catastrophic collapse of the Bilberry Dam occurred in 1852, it was Leslie who insisted that future similar structures should be no more than 6 inches thick to ensure proper consolidation.
A New Organisation
As time passed and the city continued to expand, serious debates arose. The corporations of Leith, Portobello, and Edinburgh were dissatisfied with the Edinburgh Water Company’s performance, particularly the insufficient water supply.
The search for additional reserves remained a pressing issue. Therefore, in 1869, a public Water Fund was established. Composed of representatives from the three aforementioned corporations, its main objective was to oversee the Edinburgh Water Company.
Notably, the newly formed organisation decided to retain Leslie as a consulting engineer. However, James Stewart was appointed as the manager for urgent matters, with John Frederick Bateman as his assistant.
Scheme Rejection
In 1866, Leslie proposed a scheme for exploiting the waters of the Moorfoot Hills. In his view, this was an ideal way to secure additional water supplies for Edinburgh, Portobello, and Leith.
Stewart, tasked with exploring alternative water sources, along with Bateman, suggested drawing water from St Mary’s Loch. At the time, Bateman noted that despite the higher cost of implementing this scheme compared to the Moorfoot Hills proposal, it was worth it because it would provide significantly more water.
However, in 1870, the House of Lords rejected this scheme due to a minor technical error. A later attempt to resubmit it was unsuccessful.
Long-Awaited Success
Then, in 1872, seizing the opportunity presented by the political situation after the local elections, Leslie once again approached the Fund with his Moorfoot Hills scheme. This time, the engineer also proposed using the South Esk river catchment for drinking water and Fullerton Burn as an additional source.
Success finally smiled on Leslie, and the scheme was fully completed in 1880.
A Family Partnership
All the facts mentioned above leave no doubt that James Leslie was a key figure in the development of Edinburgh’s water supply.
It’s only fair to briefly mention his personal career progression.
In 1871, the engineer invited his son Alexander to join him as a partner, forming the partnership J&A Leslie. Two years later, Leslie Senior’s son-in-law, Robert Reid, joined them, and the company was renamed J&A Leslie and Reid.
One striking example of this “family partnership’s” work was the Alnwickhill water treatment works. Leslie’s company was responsible for their design, even though James Young & Son was the contractor.
Work began in 1875 and was completed in 1888.
Further Successful Projects
The next major step in Leslie’s company’s activities was the development of the River Tweed. The Talla reservoir was also part of the new water supply project adopted by the Edinburgh and District Water Trust in 1894.
The reservoir is located in the Talla Water valley, one mile from Tweedsmuir.
Furthermore, the scheme included the creation of a service reservoir, a filter, and aqueducts to supply water to Edinburgh. This project also necessitated the construction of a railway, which later became famous as the “Talla Railway.”
The dam was officially opened in May 1905.
It’s also important to note that J&A Leslie and Reid developed the Fairmilehead water treatment works. This project, completed in 1910, involved a filtration plant and twelve pressure filters.
Revisiting an Old Scheme
When discussing the history of Edinburgh’s water supply, one cannot overlook Bateman’s scheme, which involved using water from St Mary’s Loch.
Many years passed since it was first proposed. However, in the 1980s, it was revisited. This happened when the Megget reservoir was built in 1983, allowing the utilisation of water from the St Mary’s Loch catchment.
Through pipelines and aqueducts, this water now reaches the Glencorse and Gladhouse reservoirs, as well as the Rosebery Treatment Works.
Modern History
Edinburgh’s modern water supply history also holds significant developments.
As of 2008, the city was served by 13 service reservoirs, supplied by 4 water treatment works.
A crucial development was the replacement of two plants: Alnwickhill and Fairmilehead. This decision was made in 2006, leading to the construction of the new Glencorse treatment works to supersede these two facilities.
The location of the new works was chosen for its convenient access to water from the main Fruid, Talla, and Megget reservoirs. The project was successfully completed, with all work finishing in 2012.
Thus, Edinburgh’s “water” history contains many unique facts that transform even such a seemingly dry and purely technical aspect of this wonderful city’s past into something incredibly fascinating.
However, it’s hard to disagree that achieving a truly high-quality urban water supply would have been impossible without the talented individuals – especially the engineers and researchers – whose contributions to the development of Edinburgh’s water system were absolutely vital.