Documentary History of American Water-works

Alameda

Alameda, California

Alameda was incorporated as a city in 1872.

The first water works were built in 1875 by the Alameda Water Company, which had been incorporated in 1873 by Benjamin R. Norton.

Captain Robert R Thompson organized the Artesian Water Works in 1879, which supplied water to Alameda from, at first, four artesian wells at a spot east of High Street.

The Artesian Water Company was purchased by the Contra Costa Water Company in 1900, which in turn was acquired by the People's Water Company in 1906 and the East Bay Water Company in 1917.

The East Bay Municipal Water District was organized on May 22, 1923 and bought the East Bay Water Company in 1928.

Water is provided by the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, which has a history page.

References
1882 Alameda, Engineering News, 9:155 (May 13, 1882)

1888 "Alameda," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "Alameda and Fitchburg," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "Alameda and Fitchburg," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1897 "Alameda and Fitchburg," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1932 The story of water : a brief history of the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and a description of the source, transmission, treatment and distribution of the water supply to the cities within its boundaries

2020 "Alameda: The Story of Its Water," by Dennis Evanosky, Alameda Sun, July 5, 2020