| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| North
Central States |
Ohio | Sandusky |
Sandusky was incorporated as a city in 1845.
The city built a water works that pumped water into a standpipe using two Worthington steam engines. Water was first supplied on September 21, 1876. The outer standpipe was 180 feet high and 25 feet in diameter, with a second, high service standpipe inside, 229 feet high and 3 feet in diameter.
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| Water Works Plant in 1877 |
The water works plant and standpipe were destroyed in a tornado on June 28, 1924.
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| Standpipe under construction (1875) | Standpipe after 1924 tornado | Standpipe after 1924 tornado |
A new plant at Big Island
began service late in 1940.
Water is supplied by the city of Sandusky.
1876 "Water Works
Opened," The Sandusky Daily Register, September 22, 1876, Page 4.
The Water Works were opened yesterday and all the pipes east of Columbus
avenue and south of Washington street were filled. A pipe bursted on
Washington street, but the supply pipe for the block where the accident
occurred was shut off, and the break will be repaired immediately.
The whole city can be supplied with water in a day or two.
1876 First Annual Report of the Trustees of the Sandusky Water Works, From Date of Organization to December 31, 1876. Together with the Reports of the Chief Engineer, Superintendent and Secretary, also the Laws, Regulations and Tariff of Water Rates. | also here (partial) |
1876 The
Worthington Steam Pumping Engine: History of Its Invention and
Development, by By Henry R. Worthington
Pages 102-104: 1875 - Report of Council Committee on Water-works for
the City of Sandusky, Ohio. Recommending the Adoption of the
Worthington Engine.
Pages 120-123: 1877 - Sandusky Water-works. - Description from "The
Register," November 6.
1877 Sandusky Board of Education Water Contract, October 31, 1877
1877 "Sandusky
Water Works," The Sandusky Daily Register, November 5, 1877,
Page 2.
A Full Description of Our Most Valuable Public Enterprise.
1881 Sandusky, from Engineering News 8:304 (July 30, 1881)
1882 Sandusky
from "The Water-Supply of Certain Cities and Towns of the United States,"
by Walter G. Elliot, C. E., Ph. D.
1886 Sanborn
Fire Insurance Map from Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio. August, 1886.
Sheet 17 shows city water works and standpipe
1886 "The Sandusky Stand-Pipe," by J. D. Cook, Engineering News 16:316 (November 13, 1886)
1888 "Sandusky,"
from Manual of American Water Works,
Volume 1.
1889 History
of Erie County Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of
Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, by Lewis Cass Aldrich
Pages 324-327: The City Water Works.
1890 "Sandusky," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Sandusky," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1893 Sanborn
Fire Insurance Map from Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio.
Sheet 19 shows city water works and standpipe
1897 "Sandusky," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1901 "Secretary
of Sandusky Water Works," Akron Daily Democrat, March 26,
1901, Page 1.
Under arrest for embezzlement, accounts short $12,782.86. W. J.
Affleck
1907 "Sore
Because It Didn't Get the News Register Resorts to Mud Slinging," The
Sandusky Star-Journal, September 23, 1907, Page 6.
Concerning Waterworks Situation
1916 A
Standard History of Erie County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the
Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial,
Industrial, Civic, and Social Development. A Chronicle of the People,
with Family Lineage and Memoirs, Volume 1, by Hewson Lindsley
Peeke
Page 220: The most important of the public works of the city are, of
course, the waterworks and the sewer system. The former, operated from a
plant having a capacity of 17,000,000 gallons daily, delivers filtered
water to every part of the city and to the Soldiers' Home and county
infirmary, located outside of the city limits. The plant is equipped with
a Holly pumping engine of 10,000,000 gallons capacity and a Worthington
engine of 7,000,000 gallons capacity. As the consumption has never risen
to the full capacity of the plant, or of either of the engines, but one of
these is used at a time, and the duplication of the plant insures a steady
supply of water regardless of accidents to either of the engines.
Connected with the waterworks plant is the filtration plant with a present
capacity of 6,000,000 gallons daily. This will soon be increased to
10,000,000 or more. All of the water delivered to the people is chemically
filtered and daily analyses show it to be practically pure.
1930 "Huge Water Tank Soon to Be Under Erection," The Sandusky Register, May 7, 1930, Page 1.
1931 "Sandusky Installs New 1,000,000 Gallon Radial-Cone Bottom Tank," The Water Tower 17:18 (April, 1931}
1968 The Sandusky water and sewer study: a report on the improvement of water, storm sewers and sanitary sewer facilities in the city of Sandusky, Ohio, by Erie Regional Planning Commission
2010 Sandusky
Water Works
© 2019 Morris A. Pierce