1858 Less than half of Colchester's streets have a water main. Town wells are shallow and contaminated. People store water in open jugs and basins. Dysentry and diarrhoea are common. 1875 Public Health Act. Local Councils are made responsible for public health. 1880 Council buys private waterworks. 1882 New water tower commenced, using local builders and ironmongers. Even the 1.2 million bricks are made locally. The cast iron tank can hold 1000 tons of water. Total cost £11,000. Name 'Jumbo' is coined by Rev John Irvine after the London zoo elephant. 1895 New pumping station and Paxman-built pumps installed at the foot of Balkerne Hill. For the first time, 90% of households receive a constant supply of water. 1974 Ownership of waterworks, including Jumbo, is transferred to Anglian Water as part of local government reorganisation. 1983 Centenary celebration of the completion of Jumbo. 1987 Jumbo ceases to be part of the water supply system, and is sold on the open market to a property developer for about £100,000. 1988 Jumbo bought by an evangelical christian group for use as a 'prayer tower'. During this period, the tie rods in the tank are illegally removed and part of the tank floor vandalised. 1995 Jumbo bought by Square Foot Properties for around £86,000, who plan to enclose the legs in glass and convert the tower to a block of flats. This plan is rejected by the Council, who commission a study on the possible uses for Jumbo. 1996 The study examines various commercial and public uses for Jumbo, and concludes that public ownership is the 'principal option'. 1997 A further study proposes Jumbo as part of an 'arts core' for Colchester. 1998 Jumbo owned by Victory Gate Properties, who submit a plan replacing the tank with a luxury glazed penthouse, in which the company directors would live. 1999 The Victory Gate proposal is rejected by the Council. The Save Jumbo for Colchester Campaign starts. 2000 (Sept) The same owner, now re-named Jumbo Colchester Ltd, submits a similar application but modified to allow public access up the spiral staircase to the roof space and the observation tower. This is refused. 2001 (December) A further almost identical application is refused, but this is overturned at a Planning Enquiry.

King Coel's pump in about 1770, at the corner of High Street and North Hill (Chelmsford and Essex Museum) Jumbo's official opening, September 1883 Jumbo as originally built with stone guttering and no parapets (pre-1894)