Despite Bateman's preference for the Skeggles Water reservoir, the Commissioners decided to build Kentmere Head reservoir first. On 9 October 1845, they awarded a tender for construction of the dam to Messrs Shuttleworth and Dobson. The contract price was £6,150, and they also paid £960 for of land. A cottage for the reservoir keeper was to cost £45. These costs exceeded Bateman's estimate by 60 percent, and Job Bintley's estimate when he had originally proposed the reservoir in 1844 by 350 percent. The total cost was £13,435 by the time the work was completed in the summer of 1848. Shortly afterwards, the bywash channel was damaged in a flood, and had to be repaired and extended at a cost of £686.