Made by Films of Fact. This film depicts British Waterways. It shows the water cycle and how this water is transported to homes in the UK, depending on the area of the country you are situated in. Titles: Waterworks: a Short Story of Britain’s Water Supply Made For the British Waterworks Association by Films of Fact Ltd. (Member of the Federation of Documentary Film Units) 1946. Director and Editor – George Collins Photography – Cyril Arapoff Script – Miles Tomalin Unit Manager – Sydney...

Made by Films of Fact. This film depicts British Waterways. It shows the water cycle and how this water is transported to homes in the UK, depending on the area of the country you are situated in. Titles: Waterworks: a Short Story of Britain’s Water Supply Made For the British Waterworks Association by Films of Fact Ltd. (Member of the Federation of Documentary Film Units) 1946. Director and Editor – George Collins Photography – Cyril Arapoff Script – Miles Tomalin Unit Manager – Sydney Sharples Camera Operator – John Reid Produced by Paul Rotha and John Wales. Diagrams designed by The Isotype Institute, Animation by Diagram Films Ltd. Clouds are shown in the sky. Rain droplets are shown landing on a river or stream. People are shown with umbrellas walking in a busy street. The coast is shown. An animation illustrates how the water from the sea evaporates into clouds above the land; the clouds meet the cold air; the vapour condenses and falls as rain. The water on the land makes its way back to the sea in rivers/streams. The diagram is accompanied by a voiceover explanation. Shots of the countryside are seen. An animated map shows the major UK rivers and mountains/peaks. An animated diagram on the map shows the areas where rainfall is lighter (South-East) and therefore where water is stored underground. The diagram shows the water stored in mountain reservoirs in the North. Views of the reservoir, mountains and valley are shown. An animation diagram shows how livestock are kept away from the water in the valley to keep the water clean and clear. A diagram shows how a dam works. Dams in working order are shown. Water can be seen in the hills, and running down the hills as a stream or small waterfalls. The water is seen in the reservoir. More landscape shots are shown followed by large bodies of water at the reservoir. An animated diagram shows the reservoir. Water pipes are shown going through the ground. The diagram now shoes the south-east, pointing out sites where water must be dug up from the ground. A worker is seen hoisting a bucket up from a well in the ground. Animation shows the process of collecting water from underground. A worker climbs a ladder to inspect some large metal water tanks. The animation now highlights a different site in the south-east. A large blocked off river is shown. A worker scrapes out unwanted vegetation from the river with a rake. Exterior and interior shots of the building containing water level recording equipment are shown. Water and reservoirs are shown. The initial animation of sea, clouds and land appears; it highlights the different methods of getting water. A worker uses a water wheel. Machinery in a water works is shown. A large reciprocating pump machine is shown. Clouds and trees are seen as rain falls. Rain droplets are seen in the river. A man hoists a container full of water up from the river and pours it into a beaker. The man enters a lab with a briefcase full of bottles of river water to be tested. A worker in a lab coat is sat down using a microscope. Exterior shots of bodies of water are shown. Interior – a worker walks past a very large water tank filter system. He rotates a crank. Animation diagram shows the process of the filter system using gravel, as the water deposits unwanted debris and bacteria on the gravel and filters the water through clear. The filter system with the gravel is shown. A worker supervises water pouring from the pipes in this system. Outside, workers roll some large pipes (trunk mains). Small (service) reservoirs are shown. An animation diagram illustrates the necessity of service reservoirs in relation to water demand at different times of day. Workers are shown lowering pipes into the ground. An animation diagram shows how water travels to houses, and furthermore how the mains supply works around the house plumbing system. A man cuts off the water supply from the stopcock outside a house, under the stopcock cover on the pavement. He uses an instrument up to his hear to listen for a sound which will determine if there’s an issue. Workers are shown digging up the road to repair a main. Water reserves are shown. Landscape shots of cities are shown. Repeated shots of mains/pipes, filters, pumps, reservoirs, the well, the dam are shown. People are shown – engineers, hydrologists, office workers, maintenance workers, meter readers, waste disposal, drivers. Hose pipes are shown. Reservoirs and damns are shown. Household taps are seen as the film concludes. Title – The End