Post Sanitary Commissioners

The inception of the "Waterworks" as they stand today took place between 1898-1900. In this period four reservoirs, each being 60.96 metres long 15.24 metres high and with an average width of 6.1 metres, with a total capacity of 22,727 cubic metres, were excavated from the solid rock in the west side of the Rock at an elevation of 103.6 metres above sea level. The excavations were lined with bricks and rendered impervious. These reservoirs were fed with water collected from a rocky area, on the north west upper slopes of the Rock, cleared from its natural vegetation and all crevices filled with concrete. The water thus collected was conveyed through open channels and pipes into the reservoirs.

As the populations and demand for water increased, further sources of supply were required and a further scheme was proposed and carried out. This consisted of:

(a) forming a catchment area of some 40,000 m2 hectares on the east side of the Rock; and

(b) driving a tunnel, 800 metres long from east to west, in which was formed a channel to convey the water to the existing reservoirs on the west side. This was the start of a system, which is unique in the world and is an engineering achievement of considerable merit.