Carsington Water 5.59

Opened by the Queen in 1992 Carsington Water has become a popular place for tourists and locals alike and today welcomes almost a million visitors every year.

Why was Carsington Water created here?

The area was largely just arable land and part of the rationale to build in the Scow Brook Valley was that it only involved the inundation of two farms, minimising the social impact to the area. The Field Barn or Chapel in the valley was dismantled piece by piece and was reconstructed near to the Visitor Centre, to match exactly the original building. The land was used very much as the surrounding land is today, for livestock grazing.

Carsington Water has great regional significance for Severn Trent as it is in the heart of the company’s developing grid supply system. This grid links Clywedog Reservoir in Central Wales, the Lower Severn and East and West Midlands through Leicestershire. It therefore plays an important part in guaranteeing water at times of drought to the furthermost points of the Severn Trent compass.

What was here before?

The earliest occupation of the Carsington area dates back to around 2000BC. A Bronze Age barrow (burial mound) was discovered near to the site of the Visitor Centre and during excavations in 1986 the archaeologists found human remains and a scatter of flints, including knives and scrapers. Pollen from those times was also found, showing that during the Bronze Age the landscape was mostly covered with hazel, oak, lime and other trees that were tolerant of boggy conditions.

In Roman times the area north of Carsington was an important lead mining centre and it is believed that the valley could be the site of Lutudarum, a distribution centre at the junction of two major roman roads. Two Roman sites were discovered before the reservoir was built and three archaeological excavations have recorded and saved the artefacts of our distant past and the finds are on display at Buxton Museum.

How long did it take to build the dam?

The project to build Carsington Water started in 1980 and the site was officially opened by the Queen in May 1992, some 12 years later. Prior to the building taking place, three public enquiries had looked out, and discarded, alternative proposals. Work was at an advanced stage when part of the original dam collapsed in June 1984, after a period of prolonged heavy rain, halting further construction work until 1989. Following further public enquiries it was agreed that the project should continue. The remaining dam was levelled to its foundations and a new dam was built in its place – flatter, containing more than twice the material and with double the width of the old dam at the base. Construction was finished in autumn 1991 and the first water entered the reservoir on 16 October 1991.

What is Carsington Water’s role in the water supply network?

Carsington Water is the ninth largest reservoir in England it increased Severn Trent raw water storage capacity by 10%. To meet the growing demands of over three million customers in the nearby cities and towns the reservoir was built as a large storage facility that can supply them with up to 206 megalitres a day, which is almost a third of the water needed in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Carsington reservoir is also linked to Ogston reservoir which supplies water to Chesterfield and the surrounding area.

Where does the water come from?

An aqueduct, comprising 9 kilometres of tunnel and 1.5 kilometers of pipeline, connects the reservoir to the River Derwent. The tunnel has a diameter of approximately 2 metres and is lined with concrete. The water is taken out at Ambergate Pumping Station, which was adapted specifically for this role when the reservoir was built, and travels along the aqueduct before entering the reservoir through the Control Tower. When the flow is down, water is returned by gravity from Carsington to the Derwent, ensuring ample supplies all the year round at the abstraction point downstream at Little Eaton, near Derby. From there, water is pumped to treatment works at Little Eaton and Church Wilne.

How deep and big is the reservoir?

At its highest level the reservoir can hold 7800 million gallons of water. At maximum capacity the reservoir is 300 hectares (741 acres) and 700 football pitches could fit on the surface. When full the reservoir is 31metres deep – the height of seven double decker buses.