SOUTH East Water opened the doors of its Victoria Reservoir in Frensham Road as part of the national Heritage Open Days event.

Almost 60 people of all ages - including the Mayor of Farnham, John Ward - visited the reservoir, which was built in 1897 and is one of the oldest in the water company’s network, to hear about the history of the site and how water is treated and pumped to homes in Farnham.

South East Water’s head of operations (western area) Douglas Whitfield, who showed people around the site on the day, said: “We were really pleased to open the doors to local people in Farnham to show them the hard work that goes into supplying them with top quality drinking water, 365 days of the year.

“Victoria Reservoir is one of our oldest sites so we were delighted to give local residents the opportunity to learn about its history along with an explanation on how it supplies the area’s water.”

The visit came as part of a walk led by volunteers from the Bourne Conservation Group on the theme of Farnham’s water supplies. It combined tours of the Victoria Reservoir and the bore hole in Sturt Walk which together supply all Farnham’s drinking water today.

Mr Whitfield added: “People are often surprised to hear about the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to get water to homes and businesses. It’s important to remember quality tap water doesn’t just fall from the sky.”

South East Water holds regular open days at its sites. For more information visit the website southeastwater.co.uk/opendays.