History and Operation of the North Water System
 

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HISTORY OF THE NORTH SYSTEM

Henderson’s first public water supply and public utility was a “town pump” and  a well dug in the early 1800’s located at  the intersection of Main and Second Streets.  It was used extensively as a “watering hole”.  As time passed, other public wells and watering troughs were also made available.  In 1859, after years of providing refreshing water to citizens, livestock, and passerby, the town pump was removed and the well filled in by order of the City Council for sanitary reasons.

In 1872 a petition was filed with the City Council to establish a system of water supply for the City.  The proposition of selling bonds to finance the new “waterworks” was approved by a large majority of voters in a June 1873 special election.  A Board of Water Commissioners was appointed in 1875 and construction began on a new waterworks and supply system.  Construction was completed in the Spring of 1876 at a total cost of $115,500.00.  Water was first turned into the pipes on July 1, 1876.

The new system consisted of:
• a raw water intake with suction pumps
• a three million gallon concrete, open top reservoir tank
• a 1,500,000 gallons per day (gpd) booster pumping engine
• a 360,000 gallon standpipe tank and pipes under most of the city streets.

Water was pumped directly from the river into the reservoir where some of the mud settled out and the clearer water was pumped by the booster pump into the higher standpipe tank and into the distribution system.  At the time the settled water was considered a pure and abundant supply for any and all purposes.

Initially, the booster pumping engine was only needed to pump one day out of seven to fill the standpipe.  The standpipe volume was then used to supply the demand for the next six (6) days.

By 1887 the system had grown considerably with annual receipts of $5,393.57; number of hydrants was 68; number of valves was 58; number of services was 750; number of consumers was 1,500; with three (3) to twelve (12) inches of pipe at 12.75.  The demand was increased to require the booster pumping engine to be ran six (6) days out of seven (7) which had prompted the Water Commissioners to order the purchase of another booster pumping engine.

Water treated in this manner was pumped into the distribution system for some years without the benefit of either disinfection or filtration.  However, periodic water caused epidemics, an increasing population and industrial demand gave rise to the beginning of a series of improvements and construction episodes which continues even to the present.

With the addition of sedimentation and filtration to the original water treatment plant shortly after the turn of the century, the first significant improvement was made toward the betterment of Henderson’s water supply.  Consisting of six (6) filter beds, one (1) settling basin, ultraviolet disinfection, and a finished water storage reservoir of 80,000 gallons, the newly improved plant was capable of processing 3.75 million gallons of river water daily.  The treated water was pumped into the original 3.0 million gallon reservoir to provide pressure and storage for the distribution system.

An additional sedimentation basin and two (2) flocculation basins were added in 1937.  The plant filtering capacity was expanded to 5.0 million gallons per day (mgd) in 1943, which was the last expansion work performed at this location.

In 1946, after 70 years of service, the original 3.0 million gallon reservoir was replaced with a new welded steel 4.5 million gallon reservoir, which is still in use today.

Due to the location and age of the original plant, it was decided in 1960 to construct the present plant located on Water Street, well above the highest possible river flood waters.  The plant was constructed in 1961 and consisted of a raw water and high service pumping station, flash mixing, three (3) combination flocculation-sedimentation basins, six (6) rapid sand filters, chemical feeders, laboratory, office and a finished water storage reservoir.  The design capacity of the plant was 6.0 million gallons of water per day.  This plant today, with the recent expansion and improvements, will ensure the on-going ability to produce and distribute finished water of the highest quality.

Construction was completed in early 1990, which expanded the capacity of the plant to 12.0 mgd.  An Engineering Study was conducted in 1985 recommended increasing the capacity of the plant, utilizing conventional technology, to 9.0 mgd at a cost of $1.7 million.  In the interim, it was discovered that average daily demand had already exceeded the plant capacity, and peak demand was in excess of 9.0 million gallons per day.  By extensive evaluation and in-house design, the capacity of the plant was doubled at a cost of $1,806,000.00, which was only 53% of the unit cost basis of the 1985 estimate.  This was accomplished primarily by using the latest current high rate technology within the confines of the existing structures.  This plant was the first in Kentucky to utilize this specific technology, which resulted in, not only a lower unit cost, but provided the capabilities of producing higher quality water than did the 1985 plan.

Next Page: Present Facilities and Operations of the North WTP