Sections of two hydraulic power supply pipes bolted together and sectioned across the joint to show joint method. Made by Manchester Corporation Waterworks, 1894-1950.

These pipes were part of a network which delivered high pressure water from Manchester’s hydraulic pumping stations to customers’ machinery. They show how thick and robust the iron pipework had to be to withstand the 1000 lbs per square inch pressure guaranteed by the Manchester hydraulic power network.

The pressure was so great in the pipes that a pipe leak would cause huge damage to the surrounding ground and road surface, as we can see in this contemporary quote: ‘A high-pressure water main supplying hydraulic power… burst with terrific force in Great Bridgewater Street… the water spurted a hundred feet in the air, tore a hole six feet in diameter in the roadway…’ (Derby Daily Telegraph, 28 December 1929)

At the peak of the system’s popularity in the 1920s, over 35 miles of thick iron pipes like this snaked under Manchester’s bustling streets. The pipes were challenging to maintain. A trench nearly 50m long had to be dug to replace a pipe.