Ben Crom Reservoir

Ben Crom Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. Along with Silent Valley Reservoir, which is situated further down the Kilkeel River valley, it supplies water for County Down, surrounding counties and most of Belfast. It was constructed between 1953 and 1957, as the final part of the Mourne scheme to provide water to Belfast which started with the passing of the Belfast Water Act in 1893.[2][3][4]

Ben Crom Reservoir
The Ben Crom Reservoir from the summit ride of Ben Crom
Ben Crom Reservoir is located in County Down
Ben Crom Reservoir
Ben Crom Reservoir
LocationCounty Down, Northern Ireland
Coordinates54°10′05″N 05°58′55″W
Typereservoir
EtymologyBen Crom Mountain
River sourcesKilkeel River
Managing agencyNorthern Ireland Water
Built1953
First flooded1957
Max. length700 feet (210 m)[1]
Water volume1,700 million litres (1.7 hm3; 1,400 acre⋅ft)[1]

Ben Crom is a mass gravity dam, meaning it is made of concrete and designed so that the dam's own weight stabilises it against the force of the water. The middle of the structure consists of mass concrete with granite plumbs weighing up to 5 tonnes. The outer face of the dam was made with precast concrete blocks. The project cost approximately £1 million to build and employed 186 people.[1][5]

In 2012 Northern Ireland Water carried out refurbishments at Ben Crom as part of a £1.6 million scheme to maintain and improve a number of reservoirs in Northern Ireland.[6]

  • Ben Crom Reservoir Outflow at the bottom of the reservoir wall
    Ben Crom Reservoir Outflow at the bottom of the reservoir wall
  • The Ben Crom Dam. Behind the dam is the Ben Crom Reservoir with a capacity of 1,700,000,000 litres. The hill in the background is also known as Ben Crom
    The Ben Crom Dam. Behind the dam is the Ben Crom Reservoir with a capacity of 1,700,000,000 litres. The hill in the background is also known as Ben Crom
  • View of the dam wall at the Ben Crom Reservoir
    View of the dam wall at the Ben Crom Reservoir

References
  1. "A Century of Water from the Mournes - Part 5". BBC. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  2. McCutcheon, William Alan (1984). The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 133. ISBN 9780838631256.
  3. Darby, W R (2 November 2010). "Short History of Belfast's Mourne Water Supply". earc.org.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  4. Thompson, Jacqui. "A Century of Water from the Mournes - a concise history". BBC. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  5. General Register Office, Northern Ireland Information Service (1959). Ulster Year Book, Volume 10. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 229.
  6. "NI Water complete £1.6 million investment to maintain reservoirs". Ballymoney Times. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
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