Tallahassee breaks ground for new water quality laboratory
Alicia Devine
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday morning for the future location of a water quality laboratory at the city's Thomas P. Smith Water Facility. Local elected officials and representatives from the facility were present.
The City of Tallahassee is the only municipality to have won a statewide contest for best-tasting drinking water three times.
Over 30,000 tests are conducted on the city's drinking water to ensure the cleanliness and safety of the water, officials said. The current laboratory has been in operation 55 years.
"Today's ground breaking highlights the City of Tallahassee's commitment to provide best in class services while investing in our city's infrastructure," said Mayor Pro Tem Diane Williams-Cox.
The infrastructure includes 27 deep water supply wells, eight elevated storage tanks, over 1,200 miles of distribution piping, and a 24/7 monitoring and control system.
The facility also provides support for wastewater treatment and energy services as well as routine and emergency services for citizens of the Big Bend.
Reach photojournalist Alicia Devine at adevine@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @alicia_c_devine. Check out her photos on Instagram @adevinephotography.
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