• On April 30th 1907, the Etton Waterworks was formally opened by the Mayor, Councillor J Batten, J.P, in front of all of the members of the Peterborough Corporation.

Architecture:

The elaborate building, on an 11 acre site, was praised as being one of the most important enterprises upon which the Council had embarked, and remains a striking memorial of ambition and well-directed municipal effort.

The site was built not on sand but on solid concrete. The works were made out of the best red brick, substantially built with stone facings, the front elevation looking towards the railway. A cornice in moulded stone runs around the building, which was surmounted by a parapet with a stone coping. In front was engraved the City arms in stone, with the inscription “Peterborough Corporation Extension Works.”

An octagonal chimney with its square base and battlemented cap stood at the side of a rectangular building with circular windows. This contained a boiler house, engine rooms, workshops, storeroom etc.

W and J Galloway and Sons supplied a pumping plant. It consisted of 2, two steel Lancashire boilers 7.9m (26ft) long by 2.1m (7ft) wide and worked a daily pressure of 160Ibs per square inch. They were fitted to 2 of the firm’s patent wrought steel super heaters, and the whole was operated in combination with a fuel economiser for heating up the feed water before entering the boilers. It consisted of 96 pipes. The feed water was treated with an improved softening apparatus to prevent deterioration of the boilers by scale, together with all the necessary feed pumps, pipes etc.

Galloway’s Ltd for Manchester supplied the steam plant. The steam was conveyed from the boilers and super heaters by wrought steel pipes to the main engine houses. 2 triple-expansion inverted vertical condensing engines were installed, having cylinders 30.5cm (12in), 47cm (18.5in) and 71cm (28in) diameter, by 61cm (2ft) stroke.

Each of the engines and pumps were capable of discharging 6.8million litres (1.5 million gallons) of water (30 revolutions a minute) to the mains against the full head of pressure per day of 24 hours. The engines were all equipped with the latest improved Corlise valves with large wearing surfaces to ensure long endurance.

The water was drawn from a well fronted with east iron caissons just outside the engine house and was discharged through a Venturi meter to the mains. The engine house was equipped with a travelling crane to facilitate examination and repairs. Along side was a well equipped mechanic’s shop, together with high speed engine and dynamo, with motors for driving the tools in the mechanic’s shop, and for lighting up the station and cottages, therefore making the plant independent of outside assistance, except for the very largest repair work that can come against it.

The memorial tablet was placed in the engine room and was unvarnished oak ornamented with the borough arms and Tudor roses. The inscription in white lettering read:

Peterborough Corporation
Waterworks Extensions
These works were applied to augment the supply of water to the
City of Peterborough on the 30th day of April 1907.

Councillor J. Batten, J. P (Mayor)
Ald. J. Clifton. Chairman of the Committee
Councillor T. C Lamplugh, J.P. (Ex-Mayor),
Members of the Committee.
Ald. W. D Nicholae, J.P. Ald. D. H. Redhead,
J.P Councillors J. G Barford, D. W Collier, J. T Miller, J.P J
W. Bowe, C.C. John C. Grill, A.M.I.C.E. (Engineer)
Contractors: J. Cracknell, Buildings: Galloways Ltd. Machinery

Social History :

• It took 15 years for the Council to find an additional water supply for the town. Although criticised for the timely decision, they thought it would be better to have a good 2nd supply of water (a few miles from Peterborough) rather than depend on the old supply of water (18 miles from Peterborough).
• The Etton Waterworks cost £36,000 less than the total amount of the mains cost at Braceborough.
• It was a scheme by the Peterborough Corporation and was dedicated to the use of the public. Other sites were suggested on the Fitzwilliam Estate and Walton.
• On the day of the opening, the City Fathers drove over to the works, which were then carefully inspected and opened. The members of the Town Council and the officials assembled at the Guildhall at 2.30pm. The party drove in carriages to Etton, where the opening ceremony was performed.
• The waterworks had a supply more sufficient for a town of more than double the size of Peterborough. They were now able to supply Peterborough with 3 million gallons a day, which would provide 30 gallons a head to a population of 100,000 people.
• The weakest point was location, it would have been more satisfactory if they had built one on the south side of the town.
• They hoped that they would have applications for water from Farcet, Yaxley, Whittlesey and Thorney, which would enable them to establish a service reservoir at Farcet to equalise the south side