Happy Valley Reservoir

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View of Happy Valley Reservoir in early 2007
View of Happy Valley Reservoir in early 2007

Happy Valley Reservoir is one of the oldest reservoirs in South Australia, being built between 1892 and 1897 at a cost of AU$1.8 million.[1] Initially 15 kilometres from Adelaide, the reservoir is now largely enveloped by the city's southern suburbs, of which the original Happy Valley village is one.[2] The Happy Valley Reservoir is relatively small in capacity; holding only 11,500 megalitres, it is dwarfed by Mount Bold Reservoir which is at least four times larger.[2] It is the site of the biggest water treatment plant in Adelaide and is responsible for providing more than 40% of the city's water.[3] The Reservoir acts as a 'holding pond' for water directed it to it from the Clarendon Weir via an underground tunnel, which it supplies to over a half a million people, from Adelaide's southern extent to the city-centre itself.[2]

Between 2002 and 2004, the Reservoir underwent a major renovation as part of AU$22 million rehabilitation project aimed at enhancing the Reservoir to meet guidelines of best practice for dam management at both international and national levels.[1] Part of this project included an upgrade of the dam wall designed to increase flood storage capacity and reduce risk of damage in the event of an earthquake.[4]

  • Capacity: 11,500 megalitres
  • Length of wall: 1155 m
  • Height of wall: 23.6 m
  • Type of wall: Earth with clay core
  • Area of water spread: 1.88 km²

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Water Storage (Reservoirs): Happy Valley Reservoir. SA Water (2005). Retrieved on September 24, 2005.
  2. ^ a b c Conlon, Keith. Open Day at Happy Valley. Postcards. Nine Network. Retrieved on September 24, 2005.
  3. ^ SA Water Reserves: Happy Valley. South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage (2005-03-21). Retrieved on September 24, 2005.
  4. ^ Happy Valley Reservoir Wall Upgrade (PDF). SA Water. Retrieved on September 24, 2005.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: -35.073° 138.572°