Facts & Figures

There are two Shustoke Reservoirs, Upper and Lower, the latter being the largest of the two.

Both reservoirs are Impounding Bankside Storage reservoirs for Whitacre Water Treatment Works (WTW).

Why was Shustoke Reservoir built here?

Upper Shustoke operates in conjunction with the Lower Shustoke and is predominantly filled from the River Bourne and provides Bankside storage.

Lower Shustoke can also receive a pumped inflow of up to 90 Ml/d (Mega litres per day) from Whitacre Reservoir. 

Bankside storage helps to regulate the flow of water into the Water Treatment Works by both avoiding poor quality water (such as after heavy rain) and allowing debris in the water to settle.

Bankside storage can even be considered as the first stage of water treatment.

What was here before?

Before the reservoir was developed the area was rural riverside land used for Agriculture.

How long did it take to build?

Building took place in the 1880s

The upper reservoir was built in 1885.

What is Shustoke Reservoir Water’s role in the supply network?

Both Reservoirs were intended to help supply Birmingham with drinking water via Whitacre Water Treatment Works, but upon completion of the Elan Valley scheme the output of the works was transferred to the then ‘Coventry Corporation’ in 1908.

The treatment works now supplies Meriden and Oldbury service reservoirs (which store water that has been treated to drinking water quality).

Whitacre WTW now helps to provide drinking water for the Coventry and Nuneaton areas.

Whitacre Water Treatment works now has a maximum output of 44 Ml/d.

Where does the water come from?

The water is abstracted from the River Bourne and can also be pumped from Whitacre Reservoir.

How big is the reservoir?

The Dam for Upper Shustoke is an Earth Embankment and is 6.09 metres high.  The reservoir capacity is 92,000 cubic metres.

The Dam for Lower Shustoke is an Earth Embankment and is 8.36 metres high.  The reservoir capacity is 1,921,000 cubic metres.