Until 1866, when the City of Savannah drilled its first artesian well in Greene Square, the Savannah River had served as the City's only water source. By 1893, the City had built the waterworks at Gwinnett and Stiles streets and was relying solely upon artesian water. As the area became more industrialized, there was a growing demand for water. In 1937, Mayor Robert M. Hitch's administration acknowledged the need for a new water source to supplement the current industries and to attract new industry to the area. By 1940, United States Geological Survey reports showed that the aquifer's water level was decreasing. A 1940 study by an engineering firm contracted by the City suggested pulling water from Abercorn Creek and moving the water to a treatment facility nearer to Savannah. The first step towards building a water treatment plant was the formation of the Industrial and Domestic Water Supply Commission. The Commission was established by an act of the Georgia Legislature in February 1945. The Commission was " ... created for the specific and express purpose of administering the construction of and the operation of a plant to provide an additional industrial and domestic water supply which shall be kept and maintained separate and distinct from the Water Department of the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah." Construction on the water filtration plant began in January 1947. As proposed by the 1940 study, Abercorn Creek, a tributary of the Savannah River, was selected as the raw water source. Surface water is withdrawn from the creek in Effingham County and pumped approximately ten miles through two pipelines to the filtration plant located at Cherokee Hill in Port Wentworth off Highway 21, west of the city. Although constructed primarily to provide water for industrial use, the Industrial and Domestic (I&D) Water Treatment Plant filters and treats the raw water from the creek and produces potable ("finished") water suitable for human consumption. The construction of the water plant was a major factor in attracting new industry to the Savannah area, particularly the Southern Paperboard Plant. When the I&D plant opened in 1948, it had a daily capacity of 35 million gallons of potable water, nearly three times the daily use at that time. Over the years, the plant has been upgraded and now has a daily capacity of 75 million gallons. The I&D plant has been designated an American Water Works Association Landmark. In 1995, the Georgia Legislature abolished the requirement to keep the I&D water supply separate from the City water department, also eliminating the Commission itself. The I&D plant is now part of the City of Savannah Water and Sewer Bureau. Although I&D still supplies water to industries, it also supplies some domestic water to Savannah and sells water to cities in Chatham, Effingham, and Bryan counties.
From the description of Industrial and Domestic Water Treatment Plant records, 1928-1995. (City of Savannah Georgia, Research Library & Municipal Archives). WorldCat record id: 123437181
