A Knoxville facility that began serving the community in 1926 is marking a milestone that touches nearly every household: 100 years of water treatment.

The Knoxville Utilities Board celebrated the centennial of its Mark B. Whitaker Water Treatment Plant on Wednesday, October 28, with tours offering a behind-the-scenes look at the infrastructure and people responsible for keeping drinking water flowing.

The celebration brought together community members selected through a lottery, elected officials and members of the media to learn about the plant’s history and operations.

From a $1 million beginning to a modern facility

Built in 1926 at a cost of approximately $1 million, the Mark B. Whitaker Water Treatment Plant has remained an important part of Knoxville’s water system through decades of growth and change.

Although much has changed in the city over the past century, the plant’s essential mission has remained the same: treating water so it can be safely delivered to customers.

Today, KUB continues to invest in the facility through its long-range Water Supply Master Plan.

One of its major improvements is a recently completed $67 million filter project designed to strengthen the reliability and resilience of the water treatment system.

The project is intended to provide additional capacity and safeguards to support dependable water treatment for future generations.

The people behind the water

The centennial celebration also recognized the employees whose work keeps the facility operating.

“For 100 years, the Mark B. Whitaker Water Treatment Plant has played an important role in serving our community,” said KUB President and CEO Gabriel J. Bolas II.

Bolas emphasized the contributions of KUB employees and the utility’s responsibility to maintain the system for the years ahead.

The anniversary tours gave visitors a closer look at the treatment processes and infrastructure that most residents rarely see, even though they depend on the service every day.

A celebration that extended to the river

The anniversary included more than a look back at the plant’s history.

Bolas and KUB employees also joined a river cleanup organized by Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful.

According to KUB, the effort removed approximately 4,500 pounds of trash from the river.

The cleanup connected the utility’s anniversary with another important part of protecting local water resources: keeping waterways free of litter and debris.

KUB provides electric, fiber, natural gas, wastewater treatment and water services to nearly 520,000 customers in Knoxville and portions of seven surrounding counties.

For Knoxville residents, the water treatment plant’s centennial is a reminder that some of the community’s most important services operate quietly in the background.

A hundred years after the facility was built, the work of treating water continues — supported by new technology, ongoing investment and the people responsible for keeping the system running.

Learn more about KUB at www.kub.org.

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