Playing in the "Dirt"

Notice anything special about these perfectly formed flying shovelfuls of “dirt” at our groundbreaking celebration on October 16? That’s no ordinary topsoil. It was actually sand from the 100-year-old underground "slow sand" filters, which were directly below the site of the ceremony.

At the groundbreaking, we made a point to gather the "gold" that has served our community for nearly a century—most of the sand is thought to be original to the filters —and make it part of the big day.

After all, why just break “ground” when we can do something much more meaningful? This humble sand is such an important part of the legacy of our drinking water, we even made it into a souvenir: tiny glass vials hold a chunk of the region’s history, and a nod towards our future.  The 1925 slow sand filters will be demolished to make way for the new plant, and expanded, modern dual-media (aka "rapid sand") filters will replace them.

Stay tuned for more on the demolition of the slow sand filters.

"Sandy" souvenirs for those that appreciate fine heirloom water filtration technology.