Staines Reservoir Joint Committee

The Staines Reservoir Bill of 1896 was promoted by the New River Company, the Grand Junction Water Company and the West Middlesex Water Company. The main object of the Bill was to construct large storage reservoirs at Staines with aqueducts to connect the reservoirs to the pipes of the companies. The water was to be drawn from the Thames. The Bill met considerable opposition, mostly from the London County Council, Middlesex County Council and local landowners; but was passed with amendments and construction began. The two reservoirs were completed in 1902, with a capacity of 3,338,000,000 gallons.

By the 1930s the Metropolitan Water Board (now the owner of the reservoirs) was concerned that improvements in the standard of housing and the further expansion of London would lead to water shortages. A third reservoir was begun in 1937 to the west of the original reservoirs. It was completed in 1947, with a capacity of 4,466,000,000 gallons. The reservoirs were used for equipment testing during the Second World War and are now important bird sanctuaries.