The Metropolitan Water Board was a municipal body formed in 1903 to manage the water supply in London, UK. The members of the board were nominated by the local authorities within its area of supply. In 1904 it took over the water supply functions from the eight private water companies which had previously supplied water to residents of London. The board oversaw a significant expansion of London's water supply infrastructure, building several new reservoirs and water treatment works.
The Metropolitan Water Board was abolished in 1974 when control was transferred to the Thames Water Authority, which was subsequently re-privatised as Thames Water.
Background
Water supply in the London area was regulated by local acts and royal charters on a piecemeal basis from 1543.
Through amalgamation, by 1830 there were six companies supplying water north of the Thames:
and four to the south of the river
Following complaints, a royal commission was set up in 1827 to investigate the quality of supply. The commission found that the water was of poor quality and cleanliness, and was in need of improvement. A select committee endorsed this view in 1828 and recommended that a scheme should be devised by Thomas Telford, to supply the whole metropolis with clean water. Telford reported in 1834, and despite several outbreaks of cholera, little action was taken until the