The city of Bristol is one of the largest cities in the UK, with a core population of more than 400,000. It is not surprising that Bristol with its great international trading history, cosmopolitan population and a significant tourist, cultural and engineering heritage has some of the oldest and most interesting infrastructure serving it. The provision of drinking water to Bristol has long been of great importance to the success of the city and this requirement is the responsibility of Bristol Water, the independent private water company established in 1846 and which serves some 1.2 million population in the Bristol area. As part of this responsibility, Bristol Water has to maintain the major and significant Mendip aqueduct. At almost 170-years old, the aqueduct is an excellent example of large scale Victorian engineering. The aqueduct has been carrying untreated water from the source of the River Chew at Chewton Mendip to the reservoirs and water treatment facility at Barrow Gurney since it was constructed during the mid-1840s, and was one of the first structures to supply fresh drinking water to the city.
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