Tulsa celebrates 100 years since Spavenau Water Project transformed city's water supply

A century ago, the Spavenau Water Project revolutionized Tulsa's water supply, marking a pivotal moment in the city's infrastructure history. Launched in 1924, this ambitious initiative aimed to provide clean and reliable water to residents who previously relied on springs, wells, and the polluted Arkansas River.

The project was sparked by a chance discovery in 1908 when a group of influential Tulsans stumbled upon Spavenau Creek, a pristine spring-fed stream. Fast forward to 1921, when the city hired 28-year-old civil engineer W. R. Hallway to explore the feasibility of transporting this water to Tulsa via gravity flow. His positive report led to an overwhelming approval of a $6.8 million bond issue by citizens eager for a better water source.

Construction of the Spavenau Water Supply Project took two years and cost $7.5 million, resulting in a reservoir that was the largest lake in Oklahoma at the time. Spavenau Grama, a massive structure standing five stories high and spanning two-thirds of a mile, impounds 8.5 billion gallons of water. The water flows 54 miles to Tulsa, utilizing the longest raw water line in the U.S. at the time, with a gentle elevation drop of just 90 feet.

On November 17, 1924, the completion of the Spavenau water system was celebrated with a toast of clean water, symbolizing a new era for Tulsa. Today, the city proudly delivers an average of 105 million gallons of award-winning water daily to over 650,000 customers, proving that the vision of the Spavenau Water Project continues to shape Tulsa's future. As noted in a 1924 article, while oil may have built Tulsa's past, it is the Spavenau water that will sustain its future.