Over 100 Years of Artesian Water
Some uncertainty exists as to the date of the first well drilled at the city waterworks. A water system was built in 1892-93 and at least one well must have existed at the site of the waterworks (pictured at left) at that time. Stephenson and Veatch in Water-Supply Paper 341 list two wells as being located at the waterworks, and the wells are referred to as numbers 1 and 2. Well 1 was listed at 732 feet in depth and well 2 was listed as 1320 feet in depth. It is probable that the 732 foot well drilled in 1885 was the second drilled by the city but the first drilled at the waterworks.
Water from the Albany wells was used medicinally and was said to "cure dyspepsia, rheumatism, and kidney affections." From the sanitary point of view, there is no doubt that the artesian well waters were of benefit to the health and general well-being of the citizens of Albany. So great was the flow from the wells that Albany became known as the "Artesian City."
 In 1892 when the Albany Water Works Facility was built at 314 Roosevelt, W.H. Gilbert was Mayor and John C. Chase was the project engineer. The City Council consisted of W. Lockett, J.C. Cassidy, E.N. Clark, M. Wesley, S.W. Gunnison and R.L. Jones.
The American Water Works Association gave this facility, as it stands on its original site, the Landmark Award. For 110 years it housed the WG&L water lab.
The primary source of water supply for the Albany service area has been 32 separate, but interconnected artesian wells. These wells produced an adequate supply of water flowing from groundwater sources which was of high quality and cost effective to obtain. Those sources utilized the four major aquifers; the Floridian (Ocalla), the Tallahatta (Claibourne), the Clayton and the Providence.
Beginning in the 1980's the adequacy of the existing water supply came into question as a result of an unusually dry period which severely stressed system resources. Concurrent with this event was a substantial rise in the demand for water from industrial and agricultural users. That trend continues today. To find the needed water supply and to comply with the mandate from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Commission entered into an agreement with the United States Geological Survey to search for an alternative source of supply. That report identified the Upper Floridian aquifer as a source which could provide water in adequate quantities for the long-run needs of the area.
 The Commission obtained in 1996 the necessary property on which to develop a well field after performing testing necessary to determine whether adequate water could be taken from that field to meet its growth needs for the next 20 years. In December 1998 the Commission began the construction of the first phase of the needed improvements to its water system. The new water field and treatment plant went on-line in October of 2003. This will assure there is an adequate water supply for years to come.
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