Fleet Street Pumping Station facts for kids
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The Fleet Street Pumping Station is a really old and important building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It's located west of downtown in an area called LeBreton Flats, not far from the Canadian War Museum. This station has been helping to bring water to Ottawa homes for a very long time!
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What is the Fleet Street Pumping Station?
A pumping station is like a giant heart for a city's water system. It helps move water from one place to another, often from a river or lake to people's homes. The Fleet Street Pumping Station was Ottawa's very first one. It was built to pump water from the Ottawa River into the city's pipes.
How Ottawa Got Its Water
When the Fleet Street Pumping Station first opened in 1875, it was a big deal for Ottawa. Before this, getting clean water to everyone was much harder. This station was designed by a famous engineer named Thomas Keefer, who created water systems for many Canadian cities.
At first, the station pumped water directly from the river. Over the years, it was made bigger and better. Today, Ottawa gets its water from two modern Water Purification Plants. One is on Lemieux Island (opened in 1922), and the other is in Britannia (opened in 1961). Together, these two plants can clean and deliver a massive 275 million litres of water every single day! That's enough to fill about 110 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
A Unique and Historic Building
Even though Ottawa has newer water plants, the Fleet Street Pumping Station is still very important. It's special because it uses a unique method called hydraulic power to pump water. This means it uses the force of moving water to power its pumps, which is quite rare! In fact, it's the only pumping station of its kind in Canada that is still working.
Because of its history and unique design, the station was officially recognized as a heritage building in 1982. This means it's protected so that future generations can learn about its importance. It even won an award in 1981 from the AWWA (American Water Works Association) for being a landmark in North America.
Fun on the Water
The water that flows out from the pumping station creates a special spot for water sports. It forms a "Class 2" whitewater site. This means it has small rapids and waves, which are perfect for people who love to go canoeing and kayaking. It's a popular place for enthusiasts to practice their skills right in the city!
