Buffalo, NY: 1915 Colonel Francis G. Ward Pumping Station

(3D Satellite)

This article has an animated diagram of how the triple expansion piston pumps worked.

Jim Cavanaugh posted
One of the massive 60 foot tall, 1,100 ton steam powered water pumps at the Col. Francis G. Ward Pumping Station and Filtration Plant in the City of Buffalo. Built in 1915, this 1200 horsepower pump could pump 30 million gallons of water per day. These pumps were replaced in 1938 with much smaller and more efficient electric pumps.
Jim Cavanaugh shared
Jim Greene: "Replaced" might be a little misleading. The 5 steam engine pumps are still very much there. Present electric pumps are alongside in the same building.
Jeff Brauer: Used to do a yearly tour there. I believe early September. Checked their website and said all tours have been cancelled until further notice. 
Dan Mo: I remember taking an employee off one of those bad boys when he dislocated his knee. 2nd or 3rd level and that was just the beginning of the Journey out of that massive building. Had to be late 90's

Richard Szczepaniec commented on Jim's share
This is from September 2006 open house. The three yellow pumps do all of the pumping now. The boiler room is empty. There was talk of using compressed air to operate the triple expansion steam engines.

Street View, Aug 2017

pixels, photo by Jim Markiewicz

 

Steven Heselden posted
Colonel Ward Pump Station Buffalo, New York

3:50 video @ 0:50

Jim Cavanaugh posted
The water intake valve control gallery at the Col. Francis G. Ward Pumping Station and Filtration Plant in the City of Buffalo. The control units were updated from direct mechanical control to electronic touch screen control. The electronic units were mounted into the original, refurbished mechanical pedestals. CRA Engineers.
Jim Cavanaugh shared
Brian R. Wroblewski: Where is this part of the building? Never seen that before.
Jim Cavanaugh: Brian R. Wroblewski The low building on the southeast corner of the complex. On the left and right (behind the glass walls) are large sediment holding tanks. If I remember correctly, It is where initial treatment takes place.
Jim Cavanaugh shared his post
Adding to last Friday's aerial photograph of The Col. Ward Pump Station [below], here is the pump control room inside that building. The building, that draws water in from Lake Erie and then pumps it into large holding pools, was completely renovated between 2006 & 2008. All the massive pipes, valves and pumps were replaced along with additions like the glass walls that separate the holding pools.

James Cavanaugh Photography posted
From my Archive. A 2007 view of a portion of the Col. Ward Pump Station in Buffalo, NY. This building is where water comes in from the eastern end of Lake Erie. The water is pumped into large settling pools that is the first stage of purifying the water.
Jim Cavanaugh shared with the same comment

Deborah Brown posted nine photos with the comment: "Good Afternoon Buffalorians 🚶🏿‍♀️ One of Buffalo NY's hidden treasures are the Holly Steam pumps inside the Col. Francis G. Ward Pumping Station on Porter St Buffalo NY., built by the Holly Manufacturing Co. Buffalo NY. in 1914. The pumps still exist in their original configuration and are intact. The station has pumped Buffalo's drinking water since 1915. The sign pictured in the 3rd photo is in one of the corridors leading to the pump house. The reason for the sign, the corridor was the way people went to the pumping station offices to pay their water bills and due to the prevalence of TB during that time there was fear of spreading the disease 💦"

Kathleen Macaluso: TOo bad they left the fluoride out of water for last almost 10 yrs. A true rip off for young people not to have tooth decay. Why didn't Brown step correct this.

Dennis DeBruler: Kathleen Macaluso That is unfortunate. I'm over 70 years old, but I was raised with fluoride in my tap water because I was raised in Fort Wayne, IN. It was one of the test markets for adding fluoride to the water. When I went to a dentist in Naperville, IL, he had his staff come in and look at my mouth when he learned I was raised with fluoride because I had so few cavities. The only health problem I have is being overweight, but I doubt that fluoride caused that.

Brandon Lawrinowicz shared

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