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Back in the 1850s, only a third of Ipswich had access to running water.
Although other reservoirs were constructed during the 1900s, it was clear during
the 1960s that the demand for water was still growing, along with the population
of Ipswich and the surrounding areas. A list of twenty potential sites for reservoirs was drawn up, with Alton being the chosen site, and
construction was approved in 1972. The land was mainly farmland, but was also home to a mill and Alton Hall. The mill was dismantled and reconstructed at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket. Anglian Water took on Alton Water in 1974 during the early stages of
construction and it remains an Anglian Water park today, nearly 50 years
later. To fill the reservoir, water was pumped through a pipeline 1200mm in diameter for over 4 miles from the River Gipping. Later, between 1984 and 1987, a treatment works was constructed to ensure high-quality drinking water was provided to the region. The works treats over 10 million gallons of water a day – that’s enough to fill over 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
Construction and the filling with water took 13 years to complete. Alton Reservoir was opened in 1987 and is fed from the River Gipping and bore holes on the north side of the River Orwell. The pumping station and treatment works below the dam is capable of treating up to 10 million imperial gallons (45,000 m3) of water a day.
Today Alton Water continues to supply water to a large part of Suffolk, including Ipswich, Stowmarket, Felixstowe, and is also a beautiful setting for the general public to enjoy. Between 85% and 95% of the water goes to Ipswich and Felixstowe via the Wherstead reservoir and the Orwell Bridge with the remainder fed to the villages of the Shotley Peninsula and south Suffolk. |
