Until 1916, Ivybridge had been dependent for its water supply on a reservoir located in Longtimber Woods which had been constructed around 40 years previously and fed from the River Erme. Its capacity was around 240,000 gallons but unfortunately its elevation was too low to supply by gravitation some parts of the village. The water at times was also very turbid containing vegetable matter. The rights to take water from the river was obtained under an agreement with the owners of Stowford Paper Mill (John Allen & Sons) but the agreement stipulated that the supply could only be taken on Sundays between sunrise and sunset. Owing to the defective and leaky condition of the reservoir, the District Council made arrangements with the mill owners for a daily supply of water and the district as a result was entirely dependent upon this concession for its water on six days out of seven.
For several years before a new reservoir was approved the local authority had been aware of the unsatisfactory position and pressure was brought upon them by the Local Government Board. Ivybridge eventually succeeded in their goal to improve the water supply and on 31 May 1916, following a luncheon at Harford school for the large gathering of guests and members of the Urban District Council, an opening ceremony took place beside a newly constructed reservoir. Mrs F.B.Mildmay, the wife of Col. Mildmay of Flete, M.P., having positioned herself on a special platform made ‘ two vigorous turns of the handle of the prettily beribboned turncock’, to officially open the reservoir and give Ivybridge its new supply of fresh water.
Mr Henry Blight then presented her with a silver muffin dish inscribed ‘Presented to Mrs F.B. Mildmay by the Urban District Council of Ivybridge in appreciation of her services at the opening of the Ivybridge Waterworks, Harford Moor, 31st May, 1916’.
The contract to build the impounding reservoir, created by forming a dam across Butter Brook on Harford Moor, had been carried out by Messrs. Relf & Son. The reservoir measuring some 310 feet in length and 200 feet wide at its lower end had a capacity of 4.3 million gallons of water. Importantly, the top water level was recorded at 854 feet above Ordnance datum. With the railway platform about 400 feet and the old reservoir about 220 feet above Ordnance datum this was a significant improvement and would mean good pressure for the whole of the district it was to serve. From the reservoir a series of pipes of about ‘3,000 yards in length’ were laid across a portion of the moor, several fields and through Longtimber woods to join it to the existing mains from the old reservoir.
The construction of the reservoir had faced initial difficulties as the Duchy of Cornwall required the Urban Council to ascertain whether there were any china clay deposits within the gathering area. This necessitated the sinking of various trial pits but no evidence of the presence of china clay was found. The Council not only purchased the site of the reservoir, including all mineral rights under it, but also acquired a control over the whole of the gathering ground in order to prevent future pollution of the stream. The construction also took place during the Great War presenting difficulties in regard to both labour and materials and the remote situation and rough nature of the site only served to accentuate the difficulties.
The reservoir was stated at the time to provide a ’90 days’ supply at 30 gallons per head per day for the total population of Ivybridge’ which stood at 1,730 according to the 1911 census. The new supply was considered to be far in excess of the demands of Ivybridge, so much so that the Urban Council stated that they would consider applications from elsewhere. The total cost of the scheme was around £15,000 with around £11,00 in construction costs whilst the remainder covered the purchase of the land and legal costs.
Col. Mildmay congratulated all present upon the completion of the scheme. He gave special thanks to Henry J.F. Lee, a member of the Urban District Council ‘who had laboured so unremittingly in the interests of all’. Mr Lee in his reply regretted that the scheme had cost so much above the original estimate but explained that with the Parliamentary costs of £1,780 and the ongoing interest it was unfortunately inevitable.
Other notable achievements of the Urban District Council was the installation of a sewerage plant and the building of a number of council houses at Mill Meadow.