HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The way Huntsville obtains running water has greatly changed over the last two centuries, and you'd be surprised to know how it used to be done.
Huntsville's water used to run through wooden logs.
Gary Whitley, Communications and Public Relations Manager for Huntsville Utilities, says, "the Huntsville Waterworks is the oldest water system west of the Appalachian Mountains. And part of that just began based on the settlers that arrived here in the early 1800s."
In 1805, John Hunt settled near Big Spring, where a large source of water is rooted.
"As they built log cabins and cedar cabins. They needed potable drinking water," Whitley said.
In 1823, Huntsville Waterworks was founded, beginning the journey of clean drinking water within the city limits of Huntsville.
"Cedar logs were used as the original pipe system for the water system. Those cedar logs were hollowed out using chisels initially, later then augers to open up those cedar logs, and then they were burned on the inside to seal and purify them," Whitley shared.
And you may be wondering, why was cedar wood used?
"They take the longest to rot, so they had the longest longevity at that time…those cedar logs could last at least 20 years and they were naturally repellent to insects," Whitley said.
Once these wooden pipes were buried by hand into the ground, they also acted as, what would now be considered, a fire hydrant.
"They were used if there was a fire. That's where the term 'fireplug' comes from. They would go in and open up the cedar log and then plug it back. After they used the water to put out a fire," Whitley said.
In 1858, Huntsville Waterworks was sold to the city, starting operations as a municipal organization.
And as the city continues to grow and develop, on some rare occasions, "additional cedar pipe that has been left in place has been discovered."
The length of the wooden pipes vary depending on the size of the tree they used.
Huntsville Utilities recently posted a picture of one that's about 14 feet in length.
And 2023 marks the water systems bicentennial, "for 200 years, Huntsville Utilities has been proud to provide water to the city limits of Huntsville and to this community. We envision that for the next 200 years we will continue to do that as well."