 The reservoirs allowed some settlement of suspended solids, biological cleaning through exposure to sunlight, and provided a buffer storage volume to maintain capacity at times of low flow in the river.As originally conceived water from the reservoirs was piped under the river and flowed by gravity to the filter beds at Hampton Water Works.The difference in level between the reservoirs and the filter beds was 9.7 m. The flow of water drove three hydraulic turbines coupled to centrifugal pumps which were used to lift river water into the reservoirs.