Plant Development of the Water System

In 1914, with the industrial development of the Aluminum Company of America’s (now Alcoa, Inc.) local plant, the City of Alcoa’s water system began to evolve. To provide potable water to its three manufacturing plants and its employees, the plant (as how most people then and now knew Alcoa, Inc.) built a pumping station and a six-inch water main from Hannum Spring in Maryville. A large, elevated, storage tank holding a day’s supply of water was built on Glascock Street. With a flow of 500-600 gallons per minute, the spring was the first water supply for both the City and the plant. Distribution pipes carried the water throughout the City from the spring.

In 1918, workers laid a six-inch main to Springfield Springs (also known as Manning Springs) adjacent to the Old Knoxville Pike near its intersection with East Broadway. The Springfield Reservoir had a 350,000-gallon capacity and was fed by a second source, Webb’s Mill Spring. A brick pump station stood next to the reservoir.

On nearby Wildwood Hill (also known as Reservoir Hill), a 4.5 million gallon reservoir and pumping station were built to create a six-day supply of water. The September 1919 Aluminum Bulletin reported that “10.6 miles of water pipe had been laid, including 9,100 feet of a 24-inch wood stave pipe, 3,250 feet of 18-inch wooden pipe and varying amounts of cast iron pie of four, six, eight, 10, 12, and 18-inches in diameter.” In later years, a 16-inch cast iron main replaced this and a second, larger reservoir added. According to the June 1920 Aluminum Bulletin, the Knoxville Power Company at that time had installed “over ten miles of water mains which are supplying pure water to all parts of the city.” To kill bacteria, chlorine gas was added to the water as it was pumped.

In this 1960’s photograph, Don Bledsoe examines a section of the 1919 wooden stave pipe installed from the Wildwood Reservoir to the City. Heavy wooden wire wrapped around the wooden pipe. Bledsoe recounted that as a child he saw two-man crews walking the route of the line, carrying a bucket of wooden pegs, looking for leaks. When a wet spot was found, they would dig down to the leak, whittle the end of a peg to fit the hole, drive it into the pipe and recover it with dirt. As the peg became wet, it would swell and seal the hole that had been a leak.

May 1927 saw the Little River pumping station and filter plant begin operation. This was the last facility operated by Alcoa, Inc. This facility was located on Sam Houston School Road across from the City’s present plant.

City of Alcoa Assumes and Expands Water System

As part of Alcoa, Inc.’s continuing policy of turning the operation of the company town of Alcoa over to its residents, the City of Alcoa assumed ownership and operation of the water system on January 4, 1960. Along with it came the company’s employees that had been operating the system who then became City of Alcoa employees. Don Bledsoe became the City’s first Superintendent of Water, a position he held until 1967 when he was named Director of Public Works.

Under Bledsoe’s direction, the 1927 plant was rebuilt in 1962/63. Utilizing the existing laboratory building, two new sand filter units, a valve house, and other modernized equipment were added that expanded the plant capacity to 8 million gallons per day (MGD).

1962 Construction with the original 1927 building in background.

In 1972/1973, all of the remaining Aluminum Company 1927-vintage buildings, etc. were replaced. Construction included a new intake structure and pumps on Little River, new operations & laboratory building, new high service pumps, and a third mixed media treatment unit that brought the filtering capacity to 16 MGD. Further expansion completed in 1978 upped the filtration plant’s capacity to 24 MGD. Ultimately the plant’s capacity could reach 36 MGD with the upgrade of the two, original 1962 treatment units.

Facing more stringent treatment regulations and an aging treatment plant that was becoming more expensive to maintain, City staff began in 2001 evaluating options of either (1) rehabilitating the existing treatment plant or (2) constructing a new plant with the latest treatment technologies. After several months of evaluations, the decision was made to construct a new membrane filtration plant across the road from the old plant site on Sam Houston School Road. Following many months of pilot testing, design and then construction, The City completed its award winning membrane plant in March 2007. Water conservation measures by Alcoa, Inc, closure of Alcoa, Inc.’s West Plant, and South Blount County Utility District constructing its own filtration plant lessened the demand for the City’s water and allowed a smaller, 16 MGD capacity plant to be constructed. The current plant’s capacity is upgradeable to 24 MGD. On average, the plant treats between eight and ten million gallons of water per day.

The City’s water transmission and distribution system has also expanded during the past 50 years. Over 10,000 homes and businesses in Alcoa and northeast Blount County are provided City of Alcoa water through over 240 miles of water mains.

In addition, the City continues to provide water to the Alcoa, Inc. North and South Plants and the Tuckaleechee Utility District. Both the City of Maryville and Knox Chapman Utility District also purchase water from Alcoa on an as-needed basis. Recent improvements to this system include a 1.5 million gallon water tank and pump station in the Wildwood area and construction of a 12-inch water line to serve the Rockford area. A significant challenge in the near future is replacement of the two Overlook Reservoirs, now some 90 and 68 years old, respectively.

• Staffed by 19 employees having a combined 294 years of service with the City.

o Seven of the employees carry State Certifications as Grade II Water
Distribution and/or Grade II Wastewater Collection operators

o These employees are also responsible for operation and maintenance of the
City’s wastewater collection system, serving over 6,000 homes and
businesses.

• Over 240 miles of water distribution and transmission mains ranging in size from 2-inch to 24-inch diameter.

• Water system storage includes:

o Two Overlook Reservoirs (combined 10.4 million gallons)

o 150,000 gallon Overlook standpipe

o 300,000 gallon Lakemont #1 standpipe

o 1,000,000 gallon Lakemont #2 standpipe

o 1,500,000 gallon Wildwood elevated tank

• Three booster pump stations:

o Overlook

o Wildwood

o Regal Drive