Louisville Water preserving historic water tower

The grande dame of ornamental water towers is undergoing a $6.2 million facelift.

The Louisville Water Tower – a National Historic Landmark on the banks of the Ohio River and the oldest ornamental water tower in the world – is undergoing major repairs and restoration due to extensive moisture and insect damage. The 185-foot tower has reigned as the crown jewel of the city’s Pumping Station No. 1 since it went into operation in 1860, except when it was temporarily damaged by a tornado in 1890.

“Since Louisville Water first delivered water to 512 customers through 26 miles of main more than 161 years ago, the water tower has served as a landmark for our community,” said Kelley Dearing-Smith, vice president of communications and marketing at Louisville Water. “While it is no longer operational, we’re thrilled to preserve this piece of American history as a symbol of the quality and innovation Louisville Water has embodied for more than 160 years.”

The historic site near the riverfront is where George Warren Fuller, a celebrated past AWWA president and renowned innovator of water and wastewater treatment, studied water filtration processes to determine how best to purify Ohio River water for drinking. His investigations made it clear that a sedimentation treatment step was necessary prior to filtration to remove the bulk of suspended particulate matter.

The massive water tower encloses a standpipe that helped control the force of giant steam engines that pulled water from the Ohio River for Louisville Water’s operations.

The pumping station and tower, designed in the Classical Revival style, were operational until 1910. After the 1890 tornado damage, the wooden water tower was rebuilt with cast iron inside. A century later, a restoration project rebuilt the lower shaft and replaced ribbing and the dome on top. In 2014, Louisville Water opened the WaterWorks Museum inside the pumping station. The current project is described more fully in this video.

In addition to being named a National Historic Landmark, Pumping Station No. 1 is an American Water Works Association Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The latest restoration effort is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023. It includes sending 10 statues situated on the ornamental railing at the base of the water tower to Washington, D.C., for refurbishing. The pumping station is being painted on the outside and improvements are being added to the museum. (Photos courtesy of Louisville Water.)