Report - Plughole (a.k.a Wassoooo)/Filtration Plant, Redmires Reservoir, near Sheffield, February 2018

[HughieD]

1. The History
The Redmires Reservoirs are a group of three reservoirs in Fulwood, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They are fed from various small streams rising from the Hallam Moors by including Fairthorn Clough. The three reservoirs are named Upper, Middle and Lower and date back to 1836 They were created to provide clean drinking water via a water course down to Barker's Pool 5½ miles away following Sheffield’s devastating cholera epidemic in 1832.

The former The Water Treatment Works/Filter Station on Long Causeway has been long decommissioned when it closed around 1997. It was stripped of its machinery and apparatus in 2013. It is currently on the market with Reeds Rains at a guide price of £277,000. It are located beside the Lower reservoir and date back to 1950. They supplied water to the south-western outer environs of Sheffield via the Ringlow and Rudd Hill service reservoirs. The systems utilized seven horizontal pressure filters (installed at its inception in 1950) and a clear water tank which was installed 1983. Preliminary treatment of the water was carried out in the lower reservoir before it was filtered. Lime was added to separate the natural aluminium from the water, making it clump together so it could be filtered out.

Despite the works producing water below modern standards it was of a satisfactory colour and cleanliness, and despite high iron and aluminium levels, was still safe to drink. A new plant was constructed opposite the old works in the mid-80s and with used the Sirofloc Process. The water from this new plant was then piped to the old works to be filtered as a final process.

Back on to the main road and up the hill towards the top reservoir, on the left can be found the Redmires Reservoir Plughole. It was a later addition to the dam constructed sometime in the late 50s/early 60s.

2. The Explore
Was a beautiful day to check out Redmires Reservoir with a dusting of snow and bright sun-light. There were works on the road just outside and in view of the filtration works and also next to the plughole or “Wassoooo”. Hence only a brief peak inside the now stripped works and entry to the plughole from the outfall rather than climbing down it. All-in-all a very enjoyable hour or so here. Big up to @tarkovsky for wassoooo intel.

3 The Pictures
A few random outlying buildings near the filtration works:

img5358 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5361 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5366 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5368 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5369 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the Filtration plant itself:

img5371 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5373 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5374 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5375 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5376 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5377 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Quick peek inside:

img5378 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5382 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the plughole or “Wassoooo” as it is nick-named:

img5488 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5389 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This was an old reservoir worker’s refuge:

img5392 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5393 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5484 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And in we go:

img5480 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5478 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5475 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Up the smooth echo-ey concrete pipe section:

img5471 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And…out:

img5466 by HughieDW, on Flickr

…into the wider rectangular section:

img5463 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5462 by HughieDW, on Flickr

…and on to the bottom of the plughole:

img5458 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Random speaker down there:

img5457 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And toad!

img5455 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And back out:

Redmires 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5447 by HughieDW, on Flickr

 

[EOA]

Good stuff, chap. Some nice snaps - especially the black and white one. I think when I went that speaker had only recently been used, since it was not there from the report the week previous. And there was a half eaten apple that wasn't too manky and an empty bottle of whisky! I'm all for raves in drains, but I think that was solitary party, except for the cave spiders.

Nice to see the water treatments works included in your reports too

 

[pastybarm]

Great report, loved the pics. I like northern reservoir mooching, and abandoned rural buildings as well. The ice covered metal thingimibob in the 2nd pic, looks like a fan blade of doom!

 

[tarkovsky]

I’m liking HughieD Does Drains. Where we off to next?

After the open bit in the field it goes into another pipe, not sure if you found that but it’s just another RCP anyways - it comes out vaguely near the waterworks end. Shame the buildings been stripped as it used to look even better, as you know!

Poor toad.

 

[pigeonboy]

Not usually into drains but this really looks interesting

 

[wellingtonian]

Enjoyed that. Good stuff

 

[tumbles]

It’s sad seeing the state inside now. It was lovely when all in situ. I was under the impression someone had bought it around 2010 and ripped out all the pipework to start a residential conversion?

 

[the_enigma]

Evening all, I would just like to update you on the situation regarding the filter station as Hughie has shown above.

Headed over to Redmires today and the filter station was a haven of activity, as I found it has now been sold by Reeds Rains. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with it now - wouldn’t be surprised to see somebody knock it down. But I live in hope.