Chinquepin Filter Plant - the original water plant
located at 250 Whitney Road in
Spartanburg built in 1880’s.1887 - Charter issued by state to New York investors.
Chinquepin Filter Plant - the original water plant
located at 250 Whitney Road in
Spartanburg built in 1880’s.
1890 - Charles W. Harty hired as local manager of Spartanburg Water Works Co.
1898 - City begins to pay for fire hydrants
November 17, 1898 - Spartanburg Water Works Co. goes into receivership
November 26, 1899 - Spartanburg Water Works Co. is purchased by five local businessmen. The new company, named Home Water Supply Co., is owned by John H. Montgomery, Ralph K. Carson, D. E. Converse, Jesse Franklin Cleveland, and John Bomar Cleveland.
1907 - Local voter referendum voted to purchase the Home Water Supply Co. - to be named Spartanburg Water Works
1908 - Spartanburg Water Works begins operation owned by City of Spartanburg
1910 - Samuel A. Bush is appointed General Manager of Spartanburg Water Works
1912 - New pumps installed at Chinquepin Filter Plant
1916 - Marvin M. Boyd is appointed General Manager of Spartanburg Water Works
1916/1917 - Camp Wadsworth opens as training camp of US Army
1917 - Shoally Creek pump station supplements Chinquepin Creek water supply
1919 - R. B. Simms appointed General Manager of Spartanburg Water Works
Construction of the R.B. Simms Filtration Plant Mid –
1920’s
April 14, 1925 - Contract let to build Dam Number 1 and new, modern filter plant on the South Pacolet River, 13 miles north of Spartanburg near Fingerville
June 6, 1926 - New filter plant and Dam Number 1 begin operation to supply clean, pure water to the Spartanburg community with a 6 million gallon per day capacity. This new filter plant served over 30,000 people.
1929 - Spartanburg Metropolitan District (now known as Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District) began operation.
1931 - The Fairforest and Lawson's Fork Wastewater Treatment Plants began operations.
The water tower in downtown Spartanburg was completed in
1935. This tank along with the tank built in 1986-87 was removed to accommodate
the construction of a new public library.
1935 - The water tower in downtown Spartanburg was completed in 1935. It held approximately 1.5 million gallons.
Rainbow Lake, for years a popular attraction in
Spartanburg and surrounding counties is shown here in the mid 1950’s.
Original Spartanburg Water Works office building at 200
Main St.
1960 -- County population increased to over 156,000
residents. A new dam was built, creating Lake Bowen, to increase the water
supply to the Simms Filtration Plant.
March 3, 1969 -- Groundbreaking ceremony held at 10:00am
for new office building at its current site of 200 Commerce Street. Pictured
(left to right) are commissioners C. Henry DuPre, Lloyd D. Cantrell, H. Taylor
Blalock, and General Manager John A. Andrea.
1970 -- The R.B. Simms Plant was expanded to ensure an
adequate water supply for future growth.
1976 - The Commissioners authorized the creation of Lake Blalock, a step made to ensure an abundant supply of water for the future.
1986/1987 - The second water tank on Kennedy Street was added as a result of additional demands for water due to the growth of Spartanburg. It held one million gallons.
1991 - The Joint Maintenance Facility (also known as
Maintenance and Construction) was completed. The Joint Maintenance Facility
houses the parts and equipment needed to maintain the water distribution system
and the sewer collection system.
1993 - This is an aerial photo of the Lawson’s Fork
Wastewater Treatment Plant.
1996 - Groundbreaking ceremonies took place for the new Lake Blalock Water Treatment Facility.
April 1997 - Both Kennedy Street tanks were removed to accommodate the construction of a new public library. Improvements to water supply along the perimeter of the city made this possible.
1997 - This aerial photo from June 1997 shows the Lake
Blalock Water Treatment Facility construction in the early stages. The plant was
completed during 1999.
1999 - Lake Blalock Water Treatment Plant began operations
2005 - The Fairforest Wastewater Treatment Plant was
originally started up in 1931. This aerial photo shows how the plant looks
today.