A reservoir was built directly opposite Cholwell Farm (see picture), and water was carried by pipe to parts of the village lower down.

Remains of the pipe can be seen crossing a deep gully adjacent to the field which abutts the moor at Betsy. It is some 8 inches square and encased in concrete and is very obvious.

It ran across the moor, to the lower side of Wheal Betsy, through the fields, passing behind Crossing, Tavy Cottage, and then Tavy House, there spanning 'the Gurgie', a deep water course. It then continued to a water tap installed at 'Fairfields', (the butchers shop and slaughter house), and thence into Standard Court.

It has been suggested elsewhere that the 'old road' to Mary Tavy ran behind Tavy Cottage and Tavy House. This is in error. The 'open space' noted as 'old roadway' is in fact the track of the first public water supply pipe line.
The old road passed from Warne Lane, to Taylor's Green, and then branch slightly left to emerge at Standard Court, and then behind The Royal Standard, and thence behind the bungalows adjacent the present A386, to emerge behind Broomassie, (the 2nd house up the lane opposite Tavy House).
It then turned UP THE LANE towards Mount Pleasant, through the field, (now blocked by a garage), and thence on to moor to the higher side of the present A386. But I digress...

A water tap was also installed near to Tor Mist, near to Taylor's Green, to serve the Brentor Road area.

Another public water tap was installed near the school at Dowerland Farm, and at Box Cottage, and again at Church Cottages and near to Tavy Dale.

There were probably other sites of public water taps but I can no longer recall them. A tap was also placed at Lane Head cottages. Previously to this the people at Lane Head cottages had to climb Lane Head Hill with their buckets of water taken from the Cholwell Brook. The inn at Lane Head probably had its own well.

Because the water pressure was so high at the bottom of the village a 'break valve house' had to be built near to Chapel Corner, behind the bus shelter, where it remains today. It is an ugly concrete structure, though efficient obviously, and was built by Mr Leonard Burley, the local builder.
This building has an open chamber at the top from where the water, under lesser pressure, was repiped to the rest of the village.