Water Authority shows off “Talylorsville Skyscraper”

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What Polk County Water Authority officials are calling the “Taylorsville Skyscraper” will be protecting one of the most important clean water resources in the area for generations to come.

The Deaton Springs Pump Station block house, completed earlier this year, has already gone through one round of local flooding, providing enough evidence for Water Authority general manager Jack Damron to say the structure and pumps are working perfectly.

“Our first real test came during the heavy rain experienced in early January this year, when rising water from the creek flooded the area around the site,” he said. “The enclosure worked perfectly. This facility should serve the citizens of Polk County for many years to come.”

Deaton Springs provides at least 75 percent of the drinking water to unincorporated areas of Polk County, but the station often had to be shut down when heavy rains soaked the area. Every time Euharlee Creek flooded, a backflow of water went into the spring, forcing boil water advisories and shutdowns of the water pumps and electrical system until floodwaters receded.

Now, all it takes it putting a couple of floodgates into place and water keeps pumping, Damron said.

“This location supplies water to over 6,600 customer accounts in Polk County, so it became critical to enclose and protect it for future use and development. This project is also a key element within our Green Operations and Sustainability Policy, and Water Conservation program,” Damron said during a dedication ceremony held on April 3. “The project was included in our Master planning schedule and is considered essential to preserving and protecting this important water source. We estimate that more than 21,000 customers in Polk County depend on this site for water.”