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Temporary Water Intake By 1923 remarkable development was taking place throughout the whole of the Fylde Water Board's district as population and the number of summer visitors to Blackpool and the other coastal resorts increased massively. It became increasingly evident that the Board would have serious difficulty in coping with the demand for water long before Stocks Reservoir could be ready for service, unless steps were taken to secure an additional supply. Consequently, in 1924 construction of Warbreck Service Reservoir, Westby Service Reservoir, and one of the two pipelines from Stocks Reservoir to Westby Reservoir was commenced.
Ceremonial laying of the first pipe by members of the Fylde Water Board - 7th April 1925 Hammerton Hall in the background Photograph used by kind permission of Mr. A. Walmsley
Ceremonial laying of the first pipe by Councillor Robertson, Chairman of the Fylde Water Board Photograph used by kind permission of Mrs. J. Lawson
On 31st July, 1925, the Royal Assent was given to a further Act of Parliament (the Fylde Water Board Act, 1925) authorising the Board to take water from the River Hodder during the construction of Stocks Reservoir. As a result of improved geological knowledge gained from the works in the Main Trench the Act also allowed the Board to raise the height and extend the length of the Stocks Reservoir dam and to abandon the construction of the Hesbert and Greet reservoirs. The Fylde Water Board immediately started work on the construction of a temporary water intake on the River Hodder about half a mile above Stocks Dam and the installation of mechanical filters capable of treating 4 million gallons per day.
Diverting the River Hodder to allow the creation of the temporary intake dam c.1925 Photograph used by kind permission of Mrs. J. Lawson
Temporary Water Intake c. 1926 The work on the temporary intake and pipeline was so speeded up that water from the River Hodder was supplied into the Board's district on the 23rd July, 1926.
Photograph used by kind permission of Mr. A. Walmsley
Photograph used by kind permission of Mrs. J. Lawson
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