Kristen Zimmer, Conservation Program Manager, 509.867.9462
Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 4:05 p.m.
Updated: 01/28/2022
One of Spokane’s historic gems, tucked away to the West of Felts Fields, is now available to tour from the comfort of your home. The Upriver Dam and Pumping Station was built in 1894, becoming the City’s second waterworks facility. It was during the construction of this facility that high-quality groundwater was first discovered and would eventually be known as the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.
The Upriver Dam and Pumping Station has been operating since 1886 and now produces 70 million kilowatts of electricity and pumps an average of 5.8 billion gallons of water annually. Using the power generated at the dam to run pumps from two well stations makes this facility even more unique and helps keep water rates affordable for the community.
Follow your tour guide on a walk through the facility and at each stop, you can look all around as you learn a little history, hear how things work and meet a few of the Water Department’s skilled staff. It is the next best thing to being there—maybe even better as you can skip the boring parts!
Watch the virtual 360° tour.
If you’d like to visit Upriver in person, you can call 509.742.8141 to schedule a tour.
For additional ways to learn about our water system and conserving water, visit our website or contact the City of Spokane’s Water Department at 509.742.8141.
