Metro Water Services 100 Years Ago

Picture a flock of birds circling the Nashville skyline in the mid-1920s, eventually dipping down to rest on the massive water-filled tank in the middle of town. Today, the idea of wildlife landing directly in our city's drinking supply would trigger a public health emergency. But a century ago, it was just an ordinary Tuesday.

The production of clean, reliable drinking water became a growing concern for Nashville, meaning new advancements were a necessity. At this time, waterborne illnesses were a constant threat. While having direct access to a major river is often the economic catalyst for great cities, a resource is only as good as your ability to utilize it. In this case, how good was the Cumberland's water for Nashville if the city couldn't properly clean and treat it?

In response to the public health concerns and growing population demands, Nashville leaders recognized that basic chlorination and a settling basin simply wouldn't be enough to support a growing population. Driven by this urgency, construction began on a new filtration facility historic new Boiler Building and the . The facility introduced the structuredcoagulation, flocculation, and rapid-sand filtration water treatment process. When the filtration plant finally opened its doors in 1929, it marked Nashville's official transition to modern, large-scale water treatment.

100 years later, Metro Water Services has evolved into a world-class utility. Serving over 215,000 customers, we process roughly 180 million gallons of clean, safe, reliable drinking water a day across two plants. A century of progress has transformed Nashville's water from a public health gamble into a stable and reliable Considering we started with a reservoir where birds routinely 'joined the process,' it's safe to say: what a difference a hundred years makes! And we're grateful for every bit of it (though the birds may disagree).