Queen Mother Reservoir
Queen Mother Reservoir | |
---|---|
Reservoir and sailing club | |
Location | Berkshire, England |
Coordinates | 51°28′55″N 0°32′56″W / 51.48194°N 0.54889°WCoordinates: 51°28′55″N 0°32′56″W / 51.48194°N 0.54889°W |
Type | reservoir |
Basin countries | United Kingdom |
Surface area | 475 acres (1.92 km2) |
The Queen Mother Reservoir is a public water supply reservoir that lies between the M4 and the M25 to the west of London. It is 475 acres (1.92 km2) in size or about 1 km in diameter - making it one of the largest inland areas of water in Southern England.[1] It is managed by Thames Water.
This is one of a number of reservoirs to the west of London and was built in 1976. It was inaugurated on 9 July that year by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, after whom it is named.[2] Its water is pumped from the River Thames nearby.[3] The water improves in quality during its retention in the reservoir as solids settle and organic contaminants are adsorbed and degraded through a combination of natural biological processes aided by sunlight and oxygenation. Water from the reservoir is treated (often using slow sand filters) before being put into supply as London tap water.[4]
The reservoir lies within the Colne Valley regional park and like other local reservoirs is popular for sailing and bird-watching. Petrels have been spotted at this reservoir.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ Datchet Water sailing club
- ↑ "The Queen Mother Reservoir - some aspects of its design and construction" (PDF). geplus.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ BBC News Homes flooded by reservoir leak Saturday, 8 April 2006
- ↑ News Release Thames Water Employs Reservoir Profiler to Reduce Costs (6 June 2007) Archived September 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Thames Water official website - Birdwatching