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Local water storage tanks

On 22 Nov 2020 at 12:38pm David2 wrote:

Dotted around Lewes are what I call reservoirs but what I suspect are actually called something like water storage tanks (reservoirs being reserved for big lakes). Every time I walk past one it stirs an interest in knowing more about them. However Google searches are unsuccessful for various reasons. Does anyone know of a map of them or of the water system in Lewes that can be found online? Also what is the proper name of them, which would help in a search.

On 22 Nov 2020 at 7:49pm David Stanley wrote:

Is it acquifer?

On 22 Nov 2020 at 11:35pm Tom Pain wrote:

There's one behind the chalk pits near Offham and one at the back of Hawkenberry Way. Aquifers are natural, at least they used to be. Put your boots on and walk the hills, it's exhilarating and look for them. They're bound to be up high so gravity does the work. There's a Royal Observer Corps. station on the downs as well, but it's hard to find. You won't see anything on line worth finding, but there's a real world out in the countryside that's so much more interesting.

On 23 Nov 2020 at 8:36am David2 wrote:

Thanks Tom. It is when I am walking past them that I wonder about the network. I assume Southern Water will have an internal map but, as you say, little to be found on the WWW.
David - Aquifer is only used for natural reservoirs formed by the ground structure, but a good guess.

On 23 Nov 2020 at 11:27am Horseman7 wrote:

It certainly used to be that some reservoirs were in fact nuclear bunkers in disguise. These tend to manifest themselves on OS maps as "depot" or just a blank bit of land. I can think of one such installation in Lewes.

On 23 Nov 2020 at 7:38pm Tom Pain wrote:

It's tiny H, probably WW2. I found it a long time ago, someone careless had forgotten to lock it! As to it's whereabouts....strictly hush hush.

On 4 Dec 2020 at 7:45pm I say Ding Dong wrote:

Further to TP's response there are two almost adjacent to each other at the start of the gallops behind Hawkenbury way. There is indeed also one behind the chalk pits again as per TP. Additionally there is one behind the brick wall in Western Road by the exit of St Annes Crescent. Has anyone heard the running water under the road at this point? Is it related or is that a sewage system? There is a further water storage tank at the Eastern End of Juggs Road, just up from its junction of the Love Lane footpath and the steps up from Hillyfield.

On 4 Dec 2020 at 8:05pm David2 wrote:

I am not the only one who finds it interesting then, I say Ding Dong would also like to know more. What I really want is a diagram of them and where the water comes from. Assuming they are drinking water they must be pumped full from a treatment works somewhere, unless they store rain water ready for treatment.

On 10 Dec 2020 at 10:05am I Say Ding Dong wrote:

I've always been of the understanding that the water held is ready for domestic consumption. There are treatment works at the abstraction point on the A27 near the Newmarket, that would/could pump to Hawkenbury way and Western Road there are similar plants at Offham (access from the lane past the church) and opposite Cranedown (in the corner of the sports field by the cycleway)
You may find more info if you contact the archivist at Southern Water or perhaps visit the Keep.
There is a local folklore that some time after the war (early/mid 50s I think) the waterboard tried tracing the routes of the surface water and sewage runs in Lewes. Their approach being to pump coloured water into the system at high points (Top of Highdown Road etc) and have spotters at the various chambers it would pass on its way to the river. The result was no coloured water seen passing expected points but complaints that the river went strange colours. Whether that is true of not I don't know but it rather suggests that the infra structure that exists and what is believed may be at odds with each other,