History of the City of Houston’s Drinking Water Operations

It is what it says it is. A look at one of the essential functions of local government.

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In the second half of the 20th Century, new wells were drilled to supply water to the city’s pump stations, but it was soon apparent that Houston leaders would need to develop longrange solutions, and identify additional water resources to meet the demands of an exploding, post World War II population. City officials responsible for water production had the foresight to obtain the rights to nearby surface water sources (lakes and rivers) to insure a plentiful and dependable supply for the future. Two federally funded World War II era canals that flow from the San Jacinto River to the Ship Channel were purchased in 1945 and in 1954, and a dam was constructed across the San Jacinto River to create Lake Houston.

With a reservoir of 160,000 acre-feet, Lake Houston is a dependable supply of raw water for the nearby metropolitan area. Houston’s first water purification plant (the East Water Purification Plant) processes water from Lake Houston that travels to the plant via the twelve mile long West Canal. The City of Houston now holds a percentage of the water rights to Lake Livingston (constructed in 1969) and Lake Conroe (constructed in 1973). In 1990, the Southeast Water Purification Plant began pumping water and in 2005 the newest treatment plant, the Northeast Water Purification Plant, opened its valves. As the nation’s fourth largest municipal water provider, Houston will eventually provide water not only to the city, but to several counties adjoining Harris County.