The Forth Bridge/Water
Water.
Fife.—On the Fife shore the water required was drawn from the mains of the Dunfermline, Aberdour, and Burntisland water supply; but this supply becoming scarce, the contractors were obliged to construct a storage tank above North Queensferry.
Inchgarvie.—As already stated, no water was found on Inchgarvie, and, after some trials with condensers and filters, it was decided to use the lower 5 ft. of the holds of two of the steam barges as water-tanks. A large water-tank was set up on Inchgarvie, and the water was forced from the holds of the steam barges into the tank by means of pulsometers, the latter being worked by the steam of the barges' boilers. The water was taken from either the North Queensferry or South Queensferry supply, and this work was generally performed during the night by one or two barges, there being thus a steamboat available all night in case of emergencies.
Drinking water was supplied to the people on Inchgarvie in iron boxes encased in wood, holding about a cubic yard—the water being always taken from the Dunfermline mains for this purpose.
South Queensferry.—On the south shore the water was drawn from the pits of the Dalmeny Shale Works for boilers and other general purposes; but it proved too dirty, and some rough filter-beds of gravel had to be constructed to pass it through. Thence it was forced by pumps to an overhead tank set about 60 ft. above the level of the works and shops. This water was conducted in pipes down the incline to the jetty, and, in various leads, all over the works. For drinking purposes another supply pumped from the sandstone was available; but it proved very intermittent, and at times failed altogether. In the summers of 1886 and 1887 a water famine occurred at South Queensferry, and this was met by the contractors placing large iron tanks at the town harbour and sending a steam barge down the Firth to a place called Starleyburn, seven miles away, where a plentiful supply of water could be got. This was forced into the tanks, and could be drawn upon by all free of charge. In 1887 the united parishes of Kirkliston, Dalmeny, and South Queensferry arranged for a supply of water from the Pentland Hills, and this new supply is both plentiful and of first-rate quality, and has been running since the summer of 1888.