The Bradford Corporation built the reservoir, which was flooded in 1845, and is now part of the Yorkshire Water portfolio.

Hewenden Reservoir was built as a result of the Bradford (Yorkshire) Water Act 1842 (5 & 6 Vict.

[5] During construction, "three large vertical cracks" appeared in one of the culverts that had just been built, and so remedial action was necessary to the dam walls.

Minor works were finalised in the same year and flooding commenced in late spring, though by June, when the reservoir was about 66% full, the dam wall was observed as having collapsed in places.

[15] After a long period where the veracity of this claim was doubted in some meteorological circles, a review of the data and weather systems on the day, determined that 6 inches (152.4 mm) fell in 105 minutes.