In 1868 Johnstown Water Company began operations. The first water supplied came from Wild Cat Intake and Laurel Run Reservoir through a 16-inch and a 12-inch cast iron pipeline, 18,000 feet in length, to the intersection of Main and Market Streets in old Johnstown Borough. On July 4th, 1868 a fire hydrant was opened at that intersection and the first public water supply for Johnstown and the other boroughs was inaugurated. General Jacob M. Campbell, one of the original members of the Board of Directors of Johnstown Water Company, was the first person to install a water system in his home. General Campbell's home was located on the corner of Lincoln and Walnut Streets where the First Presbyterian Church now stands.

     In times of drought the water supply from Wild Cat Intake and Laurel Run Reservoir was found to be inadequate to meet the demands of domestic consumers and the requirements of local industry. To augment the supply, a small dam was built on the Little Conemaugh River about six miles east of Johnstown in 1877. A 20-inch cast iron pipeline, 25,550 feet long, was laid from this source into Johnstown. This source was later abandoned due to stream pollution, but approximately 31100 feet of the 20-inch cast iron pipe is still in service as a supply line from Saltlick Reservoir.

     The demand for water increased rapidly in the early years of Johnstown Water Company. The population was growing rapidly and it became apparent that a greater supply was needed for domestic purposes. In 1878 surveys were made on Mill Run in Lower Yoder Township and land was purchased from Thankful St. Clair. A reservoir of 15,000,000 gallons capacity was constructed and named St. Clair Reservoir. A 12-inch cast iron pipeline 17,800 feet in length was installed from this source to Main and Walnut Streets in Johnstown. Water from this reservoir was turned into the system in October 1879. Due to pollution this source of supply was abandoned in 1919, but the 12-inch cast iron pipeline is still in use.

     Johnstown continued to grow, and the demand for water became so great that it was necessary to build an additional storage reservoir. A site was selected on Millcreek stream in Upper Yoder Township. During the year 1881 Millcreek Reservoir No. 1 was constructed with storage capacity of 32,000,000 gallons. A 20- inch cast iron pipeline 21,1150 feet long was laid from this source into the Eighth Ward, where it was reduced to a 16-inch and a 12-inch line. The 16-inch extended through the Seventh Ward via Homer Street to Adams Street, connecting with the distribution system at Railroad Street. The 12-inch main was laid through the Eighth Ward via Franklin Street to the intersection of Franklin and South Streets.

     When Millcreek Reservoir No. 1 was completed it was thought that from the various sources of supply existing at that time there would be an adequate supply of water. It soon developed, however, that more water was needed for manufacturing and domestic purposes. The company decided to tap a source of supply that would be practically unfailing. This source was on the Stonycreek River far enough upstream to obtain a good potable water for domestic consumption and at the same time secure an ample supply for manufacturing purposes. During the years 1887-1888 surveys were made and the company constructed a small dam and intake on the Stonycreek River about one-third of a mile above the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Border Station. A 36-inch cast iron water main was laid from this source to Ferndale Borough and connected to the 20-inch supply main from Millcreek Reservoir. The watershed above Border Intake contained a drainage area of 1430 square miles.

     The Stonycreek supply was ample until about 1897. To augment the supply the 36-inch Border Intake pipeline was extended from Fern- dale Borough, where it connected with the Millcreek 20-inch line, to Washington and Clinton Streets in Johnstown. The overall length of the 36-inch Border Intake pipeline totaled 111,3314 feet. About this time the waters of the Stonycreek River became polluted with mine drainage, rendering it useless for domestic consumption, although it was still utilized for manufacturing purposes.

     Due to the abandonment of the Stonycreek source of supply for domestic purposes it was necessary to find another source. During the years 1888-1890 Millcreek No. 2 Reservoir, with a capacity of 97,000,000 gallons was constructed on Millcreek stream approximately one-third of a mile upstream from the headwaters of Millcreek No. 1 Reservoir. With these major improvements and installations, the managing board of the water company felt that the water problem was solved and the supply would be adequate' for many years to come.

     The population of Johnstown continued to increase more rapidly than at any other time in the past. To meet the increased water demand Dalton Run Reservoir was built in 1914 with a storage capacity of 130,000,000 gallons. A 16-inch and 20-inch cast iron pipeline, 17,110 feet long, was laid from this source and tied into the 20-inch supply line from Millcreek Reservoirs No. 1 and No. 2 at Benscreek Operating Plant. In 1908-1909 a 30-inch cast iron pipeline, 18,6143 feet long, was installed from Benscreek Operating plant to Hickory Street and Belle Alley in the Seventh Ward of the city of Johnstown. This line was further extended in 1915 from Hickory Street and Belle Alley to Main and Adams Streets in the city of Johnstown. A total of 3690 feet of 24-inch cast iron pipe was laid in this section.

     About this time (1905) the Little Conemaugh River supply from the Conemaugh Intake built in 1877 was lost for manufacturing purposes due to excessive acid drainage from extensive mining operations, rendering the water unfit for boiler purposes. This source had been discontinued for some time as a domestic supply. This was a great loss to the company and in order to partially overcome it a 20-inch cast iron pipeline was extended upstream from Conemaugh Intake a distance of 10,269 feet to a point on Saltlick Stream, a tributary of the Little Conemaugh River at Mineral Point, Pennsylvania. Saltlick stream flow, which has a drainage area of twelve square miles, was diverted into the newly installed 20-inch pipeline.

     With both Border Intake and Conemaugh Intake lost for domestic consumption, the company decided to build a large reservoir' on Saltlick Stream. During the years 1911-1914 Saltlick Dam was constructed with a capacity of 813,000,000 gallons. This was the largest source of water supply in the company1s facilities to date.

     Due to contamination the original Laurel Run Reservoir was abandoned in 1910. A 14-inch cast iron pipeline was extended upstream a distance of 5,1118 feet and a portion of the stream flow was diverted into same.

     In 1913 the original Wild Cat Intake was abandoned and a new intake was constructed approximately one-half mile upstream at an elevation of 1533 feet. An additional 257.2 feet of 10-inch cast iron pipe was laid from the abandoned intake to the new location, making a total of 11072 feet of 10-inch cast iron pipe from the new intake to the connection on the 16-inch Laurel Run supply main.

     The same year, 1913, an intake was built on Red Run in West Taylor Township at an elevation of 1525 feet. A pipeline, 3568 feet in length, was laid from the intake to the 214-inch Laurel Run supply main laid in 1910. The pipeline consisted of 1745 feet of 16-inch spiral riveted pipe and 1823 feet of 8-inch cast iron pipe.

     Immediately after Saltlick Reservoir was built, equipment and personnel were moved to Laurel Run and construction of Laurel Run Reservoir was started. The dam was completed in 1918 and its capacity is 101,000,000 gallons at spillway elevation of 1430 feet.

     This dam was designed to provide for future enlargement. The supply main had previously been installed to carry water from the intake.

     Due to a severe drought in 1922, the Johnstown Water Company decided to proceed with the construction of a storage reservoir on the north fork of the Benscreek stream in Conemaugh Township, Somerset County. This site had been selected as early as 1902. A 24-inch cast iron pipeline, 11,870 feet long, was laid in 1910 and tied into the Dalton Run supply line. This line was used to carry the North Fork stream flow into the water company system. Following township road surveys and road relocations in 1925- 1927, diamond bit core drilling and grouting in 1926-1929, the actual construction of the embankment of North Fork dam began in 1928 and was completed in 1932. The reservoir capacity was 1,110,000,000 at spillway elevation of 1525 feet. The drainage area is 9.79 square miles. With the acquisition of North Fork Reservoir, the total storage capacity of Johnstown Water Company practically doubled. In 1959, hydraulically operated Bascule gates, 100 feet long and 3 feet high were constructed across the spillway at a cost of $156,7143. These gates increased the storage capacity to 1,206,000,000 gallons at an elevation of 1528 feet.

     Of all the above sources of supply that served the Johnstown Water Company from 1867 to the present time, 1963, the following are still in service:
 

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