For over 100 years, we’ve benefited from wise water planning.
The 2012 Drinking Water Quality Report, arriving in mailboxes this May, shows that Seattle’s tap water continues to be some of the best in the nation. Learn about the history of why our water is so good.
Pure water from fire and gold
The great Seattle fire of 1889 burned more than 100 acres of downtown, a failure of the city’s patchwork of private water systems. One month later, the citizens of Seattle overwhelmingly voted for a publicly owned system. Then, the Alaska gold rush of 1897 brought money into the city so that it could afford to build it. Here’s what our visionary leaders did so we could have some of the best water in the country today:
They chose a high-altitude source, which means gravity, instead of an expensive pumping system, brings us water.
They chose water that comes from a protected wilderness, which means it has fewer contaminants and we can treat our water with fewer chemicals.
Our region benefits from these decisions made a century ago, with clean, abundant water. Seattle Public Utilities is committed to continuing this legacy.
This means you don’t have to turn to expensive bottled water to get great quality, taste, and value.