History of the Huddersfield Water Supplies
By T. W. Woodhead

CHAPTER XII

NEED FOR FURTHER WATER SUPPLIES

An enquiry as to the state of our Water Supply was made in 1917 by a Committee appointed by the Waterworks Committee, and it was predicted that an additional supply would be needed by 1933. as we have seen the early tendency was for people to congregate in the valleys and around the factores, but the modern trend, with improving conditions and better transport facilities, is to develop housing sites at higher levels and on the terraces of the valley sides, and so spread out the population in more congenial surroundings. But the demands made by new housing sites for baths and the conversion of privies to the water carriage system, have not made that difference in the demand for water that was predicted. The same has been found to apply, on a much larger scale in Leeds.

In July, 1934, during the severe drought, a Government enquiry was held into the question of decreasing compensation water, owing to the strain on our present supplies, and the Inspector expressed the opinion that the time had come when another reservoir should be provided, especially if we had to make provision for larger housing schemes, expanding industries and the demand of increased supplies by District Councils within our area of supply. Further we have to take into account the general decrease in rainfall.

Other authorities, e.g., the Colne Valley and the Holme Valley Urban Districts, wehre so many houses depend for their supply on wells and cisterns, many of which are open to pollution, find great difficulty in meeting the demand in dry spells. This is well shown by Dr. R.T.E. Naismith, M.B., B.S., Medical Officer of Health, in his first Annual Report for 1937, for the Colne Valley Urban District (17). He says that owing to the division of the former Urban Districts of Golcar and Linthwaite, and the amalgamation for the remaining areas in the Colne Valley, much work has been entailed in the revision of statistics respecting water supply. He gives statistics of great interest relating to the water supplies in that area, and points out, as shown in the tables below, that nearly fifty-six per cent. Of the houses in the new Colne Valley Urban District receive their supply from the Huddersfield Corporation Waterworks (which is within their area of supply), and that the remainder depend for their supply from private sources, and from springs, wells and standpipes.

A dry spell in the autumn of 1937, caused a number of these small supplies to dry up and solutions of the difficulties caused will not be found until it is possible to extend the Huddersfield Corporation’s service, and financial considerations preclude this in many cases.

In this preface, Dr. Naismith says that one of the important problems to consider is that of water supply, a subject which crops up nearly every week in one part of the district or another. I am provided from a water supplying authority when there can be a strict control kept. There are at present too many spring supplies running through cultivated land and land on which cattle and poultry are kept. Even if no epidemic or disease has been traceable to these supplies, it does not mean that they should remain as they are at present, because one never knows when serious results may occur.

From the following table it will be seen that in the new Colne Valley Urban District area, no less than 1,106 houses have no water laid on, and it has to be carried in from wells and cisterns.

COLNE VALLEY URBAN DISTRICT

CHIEF PRIVATE SUPPLIES

COLNE VALLEY PERCENTAGES

In the Holme Valley they have had similar difficulties to those in the Colne Valley, although they have waterworks of their own and are not within the area supply of the Huddersfield Corporation. Their own supply reduced the need for considerable roadside wells and pumps and many have been removed ; remains of one in Dunford Road "erected by Subscription 1850" (See Fig 52. below) serves to remind us of these early supplies, yet almost a quarter of the houses in the township have wells in the cellars. The district is rich in spring water and though some of these were giving a good yield in the drought of 1937, others, for the first time in fifty years, have dried up, and Mr. W.H. Hirst, Surveyor to the Holmfirth Urban District Council said that this resulted in a heavy demand for the Council’s supply. In July, 1937, it was stated that the water cart still visits the higher parts of the Council’s area daily.

Figure 52. Pump and Trough "Erected by Subscription, 1850"

The Bradshaw Reservoir, which supplies Holmbridge and Hinchliffe Mill, was empty and housewives were unable to obtain any water through the mains. The shortage caused great anxiety to manufacturers and some of them had applied both to the Holmfirth Council and the Huddersfield Corporation for an additional supply, but had been unable to obtain it. In the district there is a pressing need for an improved supply, and as will be seen below, an arrangement has been made with the Huddersfield Corporation to take over from them the Holme Styes reservoir, which will greatly relieve the situation.

When we consider the large number of wells and cisterns still in use in the district of supply of the Corporation, as well as extensive housing developments and the spread of population, it is very probably that cases of pollution will often occur, resulting in increased demand on the town’s supplies and hence the need for making further provision.

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