The Atwater Water Filtration Plant is one of Montréal’s oldest and most significant water infrastructure sites, with origins dating back to the mid-19th century. The City of Montréal began developing the site in the 1850s, constructing an aqueduct canal and an initial pumping station in 1856 to supply fresh water to a growing urban population.
In response to public health concerns—particularly outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as typhoid—the city modernized the facility between 1912 and 1918, introducing filtration systems to improve water quality. The plant officially began operations in 1918, marking a major advancement in Montréal’s drinking water treatment.
Throughout the 20th century, the station expanded with new pumping technologies, filtration galleries, and treatment buildings, replacing older steam-powered systems with electric pumps. Today, the Atwater plant remains a key component of Montréal’s water supply network, blending historic architecture with modern treatment processes to serve hundreds of thousands of residents.
1922 – Masonry and formwork for the new Atwater pumping station.1922 – New Atwater pumping station- construction of the steel structure.1923 – Leveling of the access road to the new Atwater pumping station.1924 – View of the basins and the facade of the Atwater pumping station.1924 – View of the south side of the Atwater pumping station and reservoirs.1926 – Construction of the Atwater viaduct- temporary installations and embankments.1926 – Hydraulic control console of the Atwater pumping station.1926 – Low voltage room of the Atwater pumping station.1926 – View towards the northwest from the top of the Atwater viaduct.1927 – 2300 Volt electrical panel at the Atwater pumping station.1926 – View of the facade of the Atwater pumping station.1927 – 2300 Volt electrical panel of the Atwater pumping station in Montréal.1928 – Instructions for coupling the pumps of the Atwater station.1928 – Wiring diagram of the old Atwater pumping station.1932 – Excavation work for the construction of the expansion at the Atwater filtration plant.1932 – Expansion of the Atwater filtration plant- erection of the metal framework in Montréal.1932 – Expansion of the Atwater filtration plant: erection of the metal framework.1933 – Concrete structure of the Atwater filtration plant tower.1940 – Automatic chlorinator at the Atwater filtration plant in Montréal.1940 – Automatic chlorinator at the Atwater filtration plant.
Dalia, a photojournalist hailing from Montreal, is deeply passionate about documenting events and sharing stories about people's lives. She is on track to graduate from Concordia University with a degree in journalism and a minor in art history. Currently, Dalia holds the position of Editor-in-Chief at her school's newspaper, The Concordian. Following graduation, she aims to secure a full-time reporting job at a major news outlet.
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