A CEREMONY has seen a Lichfield building receive an award for its role in advancing public health.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) honoured Sandfields Pumping Station in Lichfield with its Heritage Engineering Award.
It was presented at a ceremony in front of guests, local dignitaries and engineering enthusiasts.
The original building, built by John Robinson McLean, was formally opened in 1858. Its pioneering Cornish beam engine provided clean water to communities previously ravaged by diseases such as cholera, helping to transform living conditions across the region.
Walsall and Wednesbury received the first supplies of water. A year later, in 1859, Darlaston was connected, followed by Tipton and West Bromwich in 1860.
By 1869 some 20,000 houses were being supplied with water from the Lichfield facility.
John Wood, chairman of the IMechE Heritage Awards committe said:
“Sandfields Pumping Station is not just another pumping station.”
The Lichfield Waterworks Trust – which now cares for the site – continues to preserve the site. Volunteers continue to carry out restoration projects as well as running guided tours and educational programmes.
