Backwater Reservoir is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
in north west
Angus, Scotland. The reservoir's sole purpose is to provide drinking water, and as such, it supplies
Angus,
Dundee, and parts of
Perth and Kinross. Backwater, together with the smaller Lintrathen Reservoir to the south, is capable of supplying some 300,000 people with drinking water.
History
The project was initiated by the Dundee Corporation Waterworks in 1964 and absorbed into the newly created East of Scotland Water Board in 1968, before final completion and the official opening by
Queen Elizabeth II on 9 October 1969.
Scottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation that provides water and sewerage services across Scotland. It is accountable to the public through the Scottish Government.
Operations
Scottish Water provides drinking water to 2.46 million household ...
are the present owners and operators of the reservoir,
following the amalgamation of the East of Scotland Water Authority with the West of Scotland and North of Scotland Water Authorities to form a single company. Scottish Water is owned by the
Scottish Government.
Technical
The dam is an
embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...
type, measuring 42.6 metres high by 570 metres long. The reservoir extends for 3 kilometres behind the dam and has a peak capacity of .
An unclassified road runs across the
spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...
and embankment before following the east bank of the reservoir. This road runs for a further 2 kilometres before coming to an end. The dam was the first in Britain to use chemical grouting to create a waterproof barrier below the embankment.
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc () is an international infrastructure group based in the United Kingdom with capabilities in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments. A constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, Balfour Beatty works acr ...
constructed the embankment and ancillary works. Soil Mechanics and Bachy Soletanche were responsible for the chemical grouting and for tunnelling work. Consulting engineer was
Babtie, Shaw and Morton.
Location
Backwater Reservoir is located within
Glen Isla
The River Isla ( gd, Abhainn Ìle) is a tributary of the River Tay in Angus and Perthshire, Scotland. It runs for 46 miles (74 km) through the Kirkton of Glenisla (Clachan Ghlinn Ìle) and Strathmore (An Srath Mòr).
Gallery
File:Fo ...
. The reservoir can be reached by taking the B951 turn-off from the
A93 (around 5 miles south of
Spittal of Glenshee
The Spittal of Glenshee ( gd, Spideal Ghlinn Sìdh, ) lies at the head of Glenshee in the highlands of eastern Perth and Kinross, Scotland, where the confluence of many small streams flowing south out of the Grampians form the Shee Water. For ...
) to the north-west, or from the
A926 at
Kirriemuir
Kirriemuir, sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'' ( gd, An Ceathramh Mòr; IPA: nˈkʰʲɛɾəvmoːɾ, is a burgh in Angus, Scotland. It reaches back to earliest recorded times, when it is thought to have been a major ecclesiastical ...
to the south-east. The perimeter of the reservoir forms a popular walking route.
See also
*
List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
This is a list of dams and reservoirs in the United Kingdom.
England Buckinghamshire
* Foxcote Reservoir, north of Buckingham
*Weston Turville Reservoir, between Weston Turville and Wendover
Cambridgeshire
* Grafham Water
Cheshire
* Bollinh ...
References
Images
File:Backwater Reservoir dam wall under construction (level adjusted).jpg, Backwater Reservoir during construction, June 1968
File:Backwater Reservoir E.JPG, Plaque detailing the technical specifications
File:Backwater Reservoir D.JPG, Plaque commemorating the official opening ceremony
File:Backwater Reservoir B.JPG, Backwater Reservoir dam with the spillway in the foreground
File:Backwater Reservoir C.JPG, The spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...
{{Authority control
Reservoirs in Angus, Scotland
Buildings and structures in Angus, Scotland
Buildings and structures completed in 1969