Vartry Reservoir

Vartry Reservoir Taiscumar Fheartraí
Roundwood Lakes
Location	County Wicklow
Coordinates	53°03′N 6°12′W / 53.050°N 6.200°W / 53.050; -6.200Coordinates: 53°03′N 6°12′W / 53.050°N 6.200°W / 53.050; -6.200
Type	reservoir
Primary outflows	River Vartry
Basin countries	Ireland

Vartry Reservoir (Irish: Taiscumar Fheartraí) is a reservoir at Roundwood in County Wicklow, Ireland. The water is piped from Vartry to a large open service reservoir in Stillorgan in the southern suburbs of Dublin. The reservoir is operated by Dublin City Council.^[1]

The original (lower) reservoir was completed in 1863, and has a capacity of 11.3 billion litres and a maximum depth of 18.3 metres. A second embankment, 3.5 km upstream, was completed in 1923 to form the upper reservoir. This has a capacity of 5.6 billion litres and a maximum depth of 13.4 metres.^[1]

History

Vartry waterworks, downstream of dam

The R765 road along top of dam/embankment

The Vartry Reservoir scheme involved the partial redirection and damming of the Vartry river, the building of a series of water piping and filtering systems (and related public works) to carry fresh water to the city.^[2]

Between 1862 and 1868 the lower reservoir was formed by constructing an earthen dam across the valley of the River Vartry after a Dublin Water Works Committee was established to develop a new water supply to Dublin and suburbs.^[3] The committee was chaired by Dr. John Gray who actively promoted what would become the "Vartry scheme".^[4] The scheme was formally opened on June 30, 1863.

This work was particularly important in the improvement of living conditions and public health in Dublin city.^[4] It improved sanitation and helped reduce outbreaks of cholera, typhus and other diseases associated with contaminated water.

References