Clean and Cool Running Water Virtual Exhibit
Calgary’s Orignal Water Supply
Fort Calgary Water Tower and Windmill ca. 1886
Photographer: O. B. Buell
When Calgary became a Town in 1884, river water was used for washing and if you didn’t have a well, fresh drinking water could be delivered to your door for a whopping 25¢ a barrel!
Calgary Herald, July 8 1950
Six tanks like this one were installed in the downtown core during 1885 to provide a ready supply of water for firefighters. The wood and tar lined tanks were expensive to fill and leaked constantly.
Calgary Gas and Waterworks Company Headquarters
Corner, Eighth Avenue and First Street West
In 1890, the Calgary Gas and Waterworks Company, owned by George and Harry Alexander, was contracted to install a modern waterworks system. In 1900, The City purchased the waterworks. This was Calgary’s first municipally owned utility!
Fire Hydrant located at Centre Left, Across from Alexander Corner
Eighth Avenue and First Street West
Photographer Ernest Brown, 1892
In early 1893, an inspection of the waterworks found it to be inadequate for fire-fighting purposes. Many of the fire hydrants were not working and the pumping station could not maintain the required pressure. The hydrants also froze in winter.
No. 1 Pumping Station
The Number 1 Pumping Station was located just south of the Louise Bridge at 4 Avenue and 9 Street West. Steam-driven pumps pumped water from an intake on the Bow River through cast iron pipes running throughout downtown Calgary.
The Calgary Fire Department
By 1895, the waterworks system was judged to be poorly maintained and insufficient to extinguish any large fire, especially if the building was more than two stories high.
Niagara Water Meter Catalogue, 1900
The City purchased water meters as early 1900, mainly for installation at commercial plants, such as the CPR Ogden Shops, office buildings, boarding houses, hotels and larger homes. It would be many years, and numerous public votes, before all Calgarians had a water meter in their home.
Horse drawn water pipe and fire hydrant thawing equipment
Designed by J. N. Lightbody, Electric System Engineer, ca. 1916
In a report submitted to Council in 1899, one of the recommendations was the purchase of fire hydrant thawing equipment. It would be at least 15 years before The City was able to implement this recommendation.
Bylaw 714
The Water Gravity System and Early Reservoir
A plebiscite was passed in 1907 to borrow enough money to install a gravity fed intake and reservoir system that, for the first time, would supply water directly to the average citizen.
Site of the Gravity Intake along the Elbow River in the Springbank area, 1908
The gravity intake served adequately for 20 years but Calgarians endured low water pressure in winter, muddy, fishy water in the spring and lukewarm water in the summer months.
Construction of South Calgary Reservoir (later Currie) Reservoir
Located at 34th Avenue and 26th Street SW, now the site of the Richmond Green Golf Course, the South Calgary Reservoir was fed by the new gravity intake works and 13 miles of wooden pipe.
The Intake Building is located at right, McGuiness House at left.
No. 2 Pumping Station, 1980
Now the Pumphouse Theatre
A new Pumping Station, built in 1913 along the Bow River, could deliver up to 15 million gallons of water per day and the water pressure could be doubled when needed for firefighting purposes.
Proposed Extension of the Gravity Water Pipeline
A proposal in 1916 to extend the gravity pipeline further up the Elbow River was not approved by the Province nor the Board of Health. They strongly recommended that The City spend the money on a new sewage treatment plant instead.
The guard wall of the original intake works can be seen in the distance.
Waterworks Crew ca. 1915
At this time, The City would provide 100 feet of pipe from the water mains to a residence or business. The property owner was required to pay for any extra footage and also pay the regular water rates. Residents were denied service if the distance was too far from a water main or if The City couldn’t recoup their expenditure in a reasonable amount of time.
Repairs to the Gravity Pipeline Following Flooding Along the Elbow River in 1929
The flood also damaged the Elbow River intake works.
Street Sprinkling and Watering Equipment, ca. 1920
Street sprinkling dusty dirt streets was a service provided by the Street Cleaning Department. Water was supplied by the Waterworks Department at a budgeted cost of $2000.00 per year.
The New Glenmore Reservoir and Causeway
Gore, Nasmith and Storrie
In July 1929 a consulting engineering firm out of Toronto was hired to survey Calgary’s existing waterworks system and propose recommendations. Eleven possible new waterworks proposals were put forth but in the end it was the “Chinook” Reservoir (later called Glenmore) proposal that was selected as the most practical and economical.
Land Acquired for the Glenmore Reservoir
The land acquired for the Glenmore Dam, Reservoir and Filtration Plant is outlined in red. In the end, The City was accused of buying more land than was needed and paying too much. People also questioned the variation in purchase price, $50 per acre for Sarcee Reserve land, $75 to $100 per acre for land unsuitable for development and $300 per acre for developed or cultivated land.
The Calgary Albertan, May 10, 1930
The new dam was to be located about ⅝ of a mile south of the City Limits and about 2 miles from the existing Currie Reservoir. The recommended height of the dam was 60 feet which would create a 900 acre lake that could potentially provide a 90 day supply of water to a population of 200,000.
Glenmore Dam
Construction on the new state-of-the art Glenmore Dam, Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant began in July 1930. Bennet and White, a local firm, was contracted to oversee construction. The City was eager to relieve the high rate of unemployment at the time and wanted to ensure that local men were hired for the work.
Work on Glenmore Dam
Work on the dam was almost continuous with three 7 hour shifts running every day except Sunday. From November 1930 until June 1931, an additional 75 men were employed on rotating two week shifts to clear the reservoir area of trees and other vegetation.
Glenmore Dam and Spillway
The Glenmore Dam was almost complete in June 1932 when it helped to avert a major flood.
Aerial View of the Glenmore Reservoir, Dam and Water Treatment Plant ca. 1957
Extensions were made to the original Glenmore Water Treatment Plant in 1955-1956, doubling its capacity. The roadway seen running across the top of the Dam would eventually connect North Glenmore Park to 14th Street at Glenmore Trail SW.
The Water Treatment Plant and Chemical Building can be seen at top right. The intake and Power House at centre right.
The New Glenmore Causeway, 1963
Construction on the Glenmore Causeway commenced April 14, 1962. The Consulting Engineers were Reid, Crowther and Partners and the Design Engineer was Norman L. Reid. Specifications required the use of helmeted marine divers.