In 1873, Moores Bridges began pumping untreated
water to Norfolk citizens. At the time the pump station was
built, it was deemed unnecessary to treat the water since it came
from clean, healthful lakes.
In time, residents called for better quality
water and a more reliable water source. In 1899, construction
began on a water purification plant at Moores Bridges. When
the plant was completed, it could treat up to eight million gallons
of water a day, making it one of the largest gravity filter plants
in the country at that time.