Talybont Water Scheme was built by the County Borough of Newport and supplies water piped down the Usk Valley to Newport. An earth dam (nprn 308299) was constructed across Afon Caerfanell, creating Talybont Reservoir, and a treatment works was built below the dam. Construction of the reservoir was inaugurated on 28 July 1932 and it was officially opened on 29 June 1939. The dam is 167.5m wide at the base, 426m long and the top is 29.5m above the river; the reservoir is some 3.3km long with a surface area of 129.5 ha and has a capacity of 2567 million gallons.
B.A.Malaws, RCAHMW, 26 January 2004.