The Belfast Water Commissioners was a public body established by the to improve the supply of water to the expanding city of Belfast. By 1852, the city was suffering a shortfall in supply of almost one million gallons per day. In 1891, the commissioners appointed local civil engineer,
Luke Livingston Macassey to identify water resources to sustain Belfast. Macassey ruled out
Lough Neagh which, as the largest lake in the British Isles, would have been an abundant source of water, however water quality was a concern and its altitude meant that water would have to be pumped to Belfast. Other sources in
County Down, and
County Antrim were rejected: • Mcauley's Lake in
Ballynahinch - Altitude favourable, however too small a body of water to justify investment and quality not high. •
Slieve Croob - Risk of disputes with
mill owners ruled out this source •
Bryansford in
Newcastle - Like Ballynahinch, too small a quantity of water to justify investment • Upper Bann area near
Banbridge •
Clady, Glenravel and
Glenarm, County Antrim Macassey ultimately selected the
Mourne Mountains in Down. Upon deciding on the site, the water commissioners acquired a catchment area; successive local acts of Parliament, the , the and the , allowed the purchase of the Mournes land and related access permits and water rights. The commissioners were responsible for the construction of the
Mourne Wall which encloses the catchment area.
Northern Ireland Water began to restore in this structure in 2017. In 1938, the commissioners purchased a building now known as the
Water Office due to the need for more office space. It was purchased by
Marks & Spencer in 1983 and became part of its extended city centre store.
Irish Boundary Commission The
Irish Boundary Commission was established in 1924 to decide on the delineation of the border between the
Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. The BC&DWC made representations to that body, objecting to any movement of the border north from the existing County Down boundary on the following grounds: • That the existing boundary of Carlingford Lough was a natural boundary and therefore preferable to an artificial boundary. • A movement of the border northwards, but not encompassing the Mourne Mountains, would make the Silent Valley and related infrastructure more vulnerable to attack and would necessitate continuous protection. • A boundary to the north of the commissioners' facilities in the Mourne Mountains would place the source of water in a different jurisdiction from the areas served which would involve the risk of "interference with the undertaking, restrictions in the use of the water [and] increased taxation" • The latter would have financial implications for the BC&DWC, for example their ability to raise finance. The border was ultimately unchanged, leaving the Mourne catchment area and water infrastructure within Northern Ireland. ==Successor organisations==