If you’re a history buff, or even if you’re not and would like to learn more about Waterloo Region’s past, then this post is for you! Our story begins in the town of Berlin, Ontario. Haven’t heard of Berlin? If you live in Waterloo Region, you most likely have been there. You see, Berlin today is Kitchener.
Berlin’s beginnings start in the early 1800s and quickly becomes a thriving community. Between 1881 and 1891, Berlin’s population grew by 83 per cent. The blog Rye & Ginger: Berlin, Ontario until 1916, tells how “By the 1850s, the growing town became the County Seat. Its political and economic influence grew, helped by the arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway.”
Let’s fast forward to 1888. A water system that includes fire protection becomes a growing interest for the community. To address this need, the Berlin Waterworks Company – privately owned by Moffet, Hodgins and Clarke – constructs the first water supply plant to serve this thriving and growing town. The plant is built near the water source – Shoemaker Pond.
The site is located at what is now known as Lakeside Park near where the Greenbrook Water Treatment Plant now operates at 20 Greenbrook Drive in Kitchener. Today, the area looks much different surrounded by residential homes. In 1888, the location is in the country with no homes in site. Today, if you look closely, remnants of the water supply plant foundation can still be found off the path that connects the Greenbrook Water Treatment Plant parking lot with Queen’s Blvd.
Location of the first water supply plant (figures 1 to 3)
From 1888 to 1899, the water supply plant provides water from Shoemaker Pond to the residents of Berlin. I’m sure you can imagine what the water quality from the pond might look, smell and taste like – especially during the summer months. Public dissatisfaction with the supply persuades the citizens of Berlin to vote for a municipal water works, a very innovative idea for that time. In 1898, the Berlin Water Commission purchases the plant and takes over the responsibility of supplying water to the town.
“If the present popularity of meters continues it will not be long till all services are metered and it is my opinion that the sooner this time arrives the better for all concerned. It is not probable that the water supply of Berlin will ever be so abundant that reckless wastes can be permitted and I know of no means of checking this more effectually than by the general use of water meters.”
Wm. Mahlon Davis, Superintendent, 1st Annual Report of the Water Commissioners of the town of Berlin, 1899.
On May 19, 1899, the Berlin Water Commission begins work to move away from supplying Berlin with water from Shoemaker Pond by drilling wells to extract groundwater (that’s me!). Throughout the year, 10 wells are constructed with the capacity to provide the community with about 4.5 million litres of water each day.
“It is a water of remarkable purity, and in hardness even as low. I congratulate the town in the supply it has secured.”
John J. Mackenzie, Bacteriologist Office of Provincial Board of Health, 1899, regarding the new wells drilled for the town of Berlin.
In 1911, the first prohibition on lawn watering is enforced in Berlin supported by the hard working, frugal nature of Berlin residents who value the importance of conserving water.
“Any scheme that prevents reckless waste of water and at the same time reduces the volume of sewage as this should be encouraged.”
Wm. Mahlon Davis, Superintendent, 3rd Annual Report of the Water Commissioners of the town of Berlin, 1901.
In 1912 a pump house – to help move groundwater once extracted from the wells through the distribution system – is built where the Greenbrook Treatment Plant now stands. Over the years, this building has expanded to included improved treatment processes.
| Number on map | Year built | Description |
| 1 | 1914 | underground raw water reservoir |
| 2 | 1930 | diesel house; now administrative area |
| 3 | 1937 | underground drinking water reservoir |
| 4 | 1959 | administrative area |
| 5 | 1959 | pump room (replaces 1912 pump house and 1916 filter building) |
| 6 | 1990 | iron and manganese filter room |
| 7 | 2010 | advanced oxidation process treatment room |
Berlin is now Kitchener with a population of more than 230,000. The 10 wells drilled in 1899 are no longer operational. There are five supply wells we use today. The wells were drilled in 1986 to 2015 and range in depth from 32 to 50 metres extracting groundwater from a sand and gravel aquifer.
Today, five supply wells, many monitoring wells, two reservoirs and a treatment plant make up the Greenbrook wellfield. The wellfield provides 8 per cent of the drinking water for Kitchener – about 6.5 million litres – enough to fill 130 backyard swimming pools every day.
Historical timeline:
1854 – Berlin incorporated.
1888 – American firm forms the Berlin Waterworks Company and begins pumping at Shoemaker Pond.
1889 – Town of Waterloo signs 10-year contract with Berlin Waterworks Company to supply water.
1896 – A major factory fire in Berlin causes a change in community acceptance of public water supply systems.
1898 – Town of Berlin buys Berlin Waterworks Company for $102,000.
1899 – Berlin Commission forms and constructs the first well near Shoemaker Pond.
1911 – First ban on lawn watering in Berlin and Preston due to water shortages.
1914 to 1919 – World War I slows expansion of municipal waterworks due to lack of labour and materials.
1916 – Berlin changes its name to Kitchener.
1927 – 3.8 million litre capacity water tower built on George Street in Kitchener (2011: decommissioned).
1930 – Municipal water supplies are solely from groundwater wells.
1931 to 1934 – Government work programs during the Depression aid growth of water pipe network.
1939 to 1945 – World War II causes rising industrial water use, straining municipal supplies.
1953 – Mannheim wells begin supplying Kitchener with 20 per cent of water supply. This lessens demand for water from the Greenbrook wells.
1955 – Ontario Water Resources Commission established. Kitchener is one of 14 municipalities represented.
1965 – Waterloo County Planning Area established.
1973 – Regional Municipality of Waterloo forms and assumes responsibility for municipal drinking water supply.
1974 – First watermain swabbing used to clean watermain pipes.
1992 – The Mannheim Water Treatment Plant begins purifying surface water from Grand River for municipal water supply.
1993 – 6.8 million litre capacity water tower at a height of 50.77 metres is built on Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener.
1998 – City of Kitchener designates the Greenbrook Treatment Plant as a heritage building for its importance in the early years of public service, and its Romanesque revival architecture in the 1930, 1959 and 1990 additions.
In 1888 Berlin Waterworks Company built a water pumping station in Berlin (now Kitchener) to supply water from Shoemaker pond. Today 5 groundwater wells at the Greenbrook Water Treatment Plant supply Kitchener with water. #WRhistory #Iamgroundwaterblog
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