James William Restler

James William (J.W.) Restler (1851-1918) was an English civil and mechanical engineer. Restler served as Chief Engineer to the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company from 1883 to 1914, and the Metropolitan Water Board from 1914 until his death in 1918. Restler designed and oversaw the construction of water infrastructure supplying London, including the construction of the Honor Oak reservoir, completed in 1909 and the largest covered reservoir in the world at the time.

Restler died suddenly at his house in London on 4 November 1918, aged 67.

Works

Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company As chief engineer for the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company, Restler designed and oversaw the construction of water infrastructure across London, including the Streatham pumping station, extensions and additions to the Hampton Water Treatment Works, and the Walton on Thames reservoirs and pumping station.

In 1885 Restler designed and constructed the first large-scale direct-acting rotative pumping engines (pictured), superseding the beam engine in standard use. The pumps were installed in the Riverdale pumphouse at the Hampton Works in 1901 to raise 20 million gallons of water a day from the River Thames to the works' storage and holding reservoirs.

Honor Oak / Beechcroft reservoir

Restler designed the Honor Oak reservoirEfn|Also known as the Beachcroft Reservoir, after the first Chairman of the Metropolitan Water Board, Sir Melvill Beachcroft. A "cathedral built upside down", the reservoir was constructed in four sections, each capable of being filled or emptied independently, using 19 million bricks fired on site from the clay of the hillside into which the reservoir was built. The reservoir covered 14 acres, holding 56.3 million gallons of water piped by a 42 inch main from Hampton Water Treatment Works, making it the largest covered reservoir in the world at the time.

Metropolitan Water Board and other appointments In 1914 Restler was appointed Chief Engineer to the Metropolitan Water Board, the municipal body formed in 1903 from London's private water companies to manage the city's water supply. Restler was elected Vice-Chairman of the Board of Management of the Metropolitan Munitions Committee on its formation in June 1915, later becoming its Chair. Restler also served as Chairman of the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Company and St Albans Water Company.

WWI service In the early stages of World War I the Director of Works at the Admiralty applied to the Metropolitan Water Board for Restler's advice and oversight of the provision of water supply to Naval establishments. In June 1917 Restler was appointed Chairman of the Fire Brigades Coordination Committee coordinating the response of the fire brigades of London and surrounding areas to fires caused by air raids. For his service during the War, Restler was awarded Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.