COLUMBUS CITY UTILITIES
Original Pump House
(Current Senior Center)
Drinking Water History
In the late 1800's, the community was served by a piston-driven pump, capable of producing 400 gallons per minute (gpm) of treated water from a wooden box constructed above the dam at the Second Street Bridge . This box was filled with sand and gravel. In approximately 1903, what is now the Senior Citizens Center was erected on the river as a pumping station, utilizing a steam-driven pump capable of producing 5 MGD. Shortly thereafter a building containing filters was erected approximately 2 blocks southeast of the pumping station. It continued to serve the community for roughly 48 years.
During the years between 1949 -1952, plans and specifications were made for upgrading the Water Utility. Well #1 at Plant #1 in Lincoln Park was constructed, and pumped directly to the Distribution System until the Treatment Plant was constructed and put on-line in 1952. At that time there were 6 wells around the perimeter of Lincoln Park . In 1950 a 500,000 gallon overhead water tank was built and put on line. In 1965 two additional wells were constructed and in 1967 another well was constructed.A 600,000 gallon clearwell was built, for readily available treated water, when the plant was built. An additional 1 million gallon clearwell was built in 1961 at Plant #1. During 1967 an additional high service pump was installed, with a capacity of 5,000 gpm, to complement the three 3,200 gpm pumps already on line. The plant was constructed as an iron removal plant, with anthracite (coal) filters. Backwash waste was discharged to Haw Creek.
During the late 1960's, it was determined that the pumpage at Plant #1 was exceeding the rated capacity of the Plant. Plans and specifications were made in 1969 and 1970 and construction began on Water Plant #2 at the south edge of Garden City, on the former County Home for the Aged site. Well #1 was built in 1971 and pumped directly to the Cummins Walesboro Plant. On October 10, 1973, an open house was conducted and Plant #2 officially put on-line. There were 5 additional Wells located around the edge of the 4-H Fairgrounds and county property (now known as County Stadium) and also on the north side of the Southside Junior High School property.
Water Plant #2 was constructed as an iron and manganese removal plant. The facility contains a 2 MG clearwell, two 3,500 gpm and one 6,000 gpm high service pumps. Filtration is accomplished by passing oxidized raw water through gravity flow - rapid sand - coal capped media. A second overhead 500,000 gallon water tank was built in 1972 - 1973 to control pressure more evenly throughout the system.
Plant #1 was determined to be a viable source for "backup" and was renovated and upgraded to an 8 MGD facility. New filters were constructed using "greensand and coal cap" as media. New chemical feed equipment was installed and new process piping and backwash facilities added. The addition of the backwash facilities allows us to reuse the backwash water as an additional source of supply, and discharge to Haw Creek has been eliminated. Some backwash water is pumped to move "sludge" to the sanitary sewers. The aforementioned was completed during 1977.In 1978, a third 500,000 gallon overhead water tank was constructed across from the Cummins Walesboro Plant. The addition aided in smoothing out pressures in the system and allowed greater pressures to be available west of Interstate 65.
Work began in 1983 on erection of a 1.7 MG standpipe storage and pressure tank on West Carr Hill Road . The purpose of this tank is to provide greater pressures for the areas west of I-65. A booster pumping station was added to fill the structure. The end result was a totally separate pressure district, and then the city had two distinct pressure districts.
In the early 1990 economic development in the southern portion of the community lead to the construction of significant distribution system improvements including the construction of a 5th elevated storage tank with a capacity of 500,000 gallons and a second booster pumping station. An additional 2 MG clearwell was also constructed at the Water Plant #2 site.
In 1993 the treatment capacity of Water Plant #2 was doubled to 20MGD and an additional wellfield was opened on the east side of SR 11 near the plant.
In recent years staff has been involved in efforts to automate and control remotely the various components of the plants and distribution systems. Currently many procedures are controlled through computer and Water Plant #1 is controlled remotely from Water Plant #2.