The Georgetown Reservoir is a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 that is part of the water supply

Water supply

Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...

 and treatment

Water purification

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...

 infrastructure for the District of Columbia

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. It is located in the Palisades

The Palisades, Washington, D.C.

The Palisades is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River, running roughly from the edge of the Georgetown University campus to the D.C.-Maryland boundary...

 neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, approximately two miles downstream from the Maryland–D.C. boundary.

The reservoir was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Army Corps of Engineers

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

 as part of the Washington Aqueduct

Washington Aqueduct

The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...

 project. It was partially completed by 1858 and began operation while construction continued. Additional construction and modifications to the reservoir were carried out through the 1860s and 1870s.

Water from the Dalecarlia Reservoir

Dalecarlia Reservoir

Dalecarlia Reservoir is the primary storage basin for drinking water in Washington, D.C., fed by an underground aqueduct in turn fed by low dams which divert portions of the Potomac River near Great Falls and Little Falls....

 is pumped to the Georgetown Reservoir for further sedimentation

Sedimentation (water treatment)

Sedimentation is a physical water treatment process used to settle out suspended solids in water under the influence of gravity.-Basics:Suspended solids , is the mass of dry solids retained by a filter of a given porosity related to the volume of the water sample...

 before being treated. The Georgetown Reservoir and the nearby Dalecarlia water treatment plant are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. The treated water is distributed throughout the city in water mains

Water supply network

A water supply system or water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components which provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes:# A drainage basin ;...

 managed by the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority

District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority provides drinking water, sewage collection and wastewater treatment in Washington, D.C., USA. DC Water also provides wholesale wastewater treatment services to several adjoining municipalities in Maryland and Virginia...

.

At the outlet of the Georgetown facility is a sluice

Sluice

A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...

 gate building that controls the flow of water into a distribution tunnel. This structure, called the Georgetown Castle Gatehouse

Castle Gatehouse, Washington Aqueduct

Castle Gatehouse, Washington Aqueduct is a pumping station at the Georgetown Reservoir on the Washington Aqueduct in The Palisades neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States...

, was built by the Army (c. 1901) in the shape of a castle.

External links

• Washington Aqueduct - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• DC Water and Sewer Authority
• National Park Service history of the Washington Aqueduct
  Washington Aqueduct
  The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...
  
  
• "Castles of the United States: Georgetown Reservoir Castle"