Toronto’s First Water System Plaque

Toronto’s first waterworks? A tale of hollowed logs and typhoid outbreaks. This, right here at Toronto’s First Water System Plaque, is where it all began. In 1842, a man named Albert Furniss, partner in the Montreal Gas Light Company, founded the Toronto Gas Light and Water Company. This private company created Toronto’s first piped drinking water system. Imagine a system of hollowed-out wooden logs drawing water from Toronto Harbour, pumped by a station at the foot of Peter Street. This was the reality for early Torontonians. It wasn’t long before complaints arose about the water’s quality and the insufficient supply. The company struggled, never truly improving its system. Furniss passed away in 1873. The city then purchased his struggling waterworks. Their goal was simple. They aimed to make piped water accessible to more people and, crucially, improve public health. The city embarked on a mission to upgrade Furniss’s original system, rebuilding and expanding it. By 1875, significant changes had been made. The intake pipe was moved south of Toronto Island. A sand filtration basin was built on Centre Island. Progress was being made. Over time, the intake pipe was pushed further into the lake. This pursuit of cleaner water, however, wasn’t without its setbacks. The pipe broke multiple times. This resulted in devastating typhoid outbreaks caused by sewage-contaminated lake water entering the system. The city persevered. The Rosehill Reservoir was built to provide an emergency water supply. Additional filtration plants and even a sewage treatment plant were constructed. Toronto’s journey to clean water was a long and complex one. It’s a story of innovation, setbacks, and a constant striving for improvement. It’s all here, etched into the history of Toronto, and commemorated by this plaque.