Editing E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; width:300px;"
|+ '''Bain Water Treatment Plant'''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |
<div style="display:inline-block;">
[[File:EB-Bain-Water-Treatment-1980s.jpg|thumb|center|Bain Water Treatment Plant in the 1980s<ref>{{Cite web
 |url=https://raleighhistoric.org/items/show/71
 |title=E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant, 1980s
 |website=[[Raleigh Historic Development Commission]]
 |date=Unknown
 |access-date=January 31, 2026
}}</ref>]]
</div>
|-
! Location
| 1810 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, North Carolina
|-
! Constructed
| 1939–1940
|-
! Original use
| Municipal water treatment facility
|-
! Architectural style
| Art Moderne
|-
! Architect / Engineer
| William C. Olsen (Consulting Engineer)
|-
! NRHP status
| Listed
|-
! NRHP reference number
| WA4179
|-
! Local landmark
| Raleigh Historic Landmark
|}

The '''Bain Water Treatment Plant''', formally known as the '''Raleigh Water Works and E. B. Bain Water Treatment Plant''', is a former municipal water treatment facility located along Lake Wheeler Road in [[Raleigh]]. The plant was Raleigh’s primary source of treated drinking water during a period of rapid population growth in the mid-20th century and is recognized for its architectural and engineering significance.

== Construction and operation ==
The Bain Water Treatment Plant was constructed between 1939 and 1940 as part of Raleigh’s modernization of its municipal water system. Contracts for the new facility were awarded on July 5, 1939, with construction beginning later that year. The plant was dedicated on June 18, 1940, and named in honor of [[Ernest Battle Bain]], who had overseen Raleigh’s water system for four decades.<ref name=":0">{{Cite govdoc
 |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Raleigh Water Works and E. B. Bain Water Treatment Plant
 |agency=North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
 |doc_type=(National Register nomination)
 |date=(1994)
 |url=https://files.nc.gov/historic-preservation/nr/WA4179.pdf
 |access-date=January 31, 2026
}}</ref>

The facility incorporated both filtration and pumping functions within a single structure and initially had a rated treatment capacity of approximately 8 million gallons per day. The plant was expanded in 1951, increasing its capacity to approximately 13 million gallons per day.<ref name=":0" />

The Bain plant was Raleigh’s sole source of treated water from 1940 until 1967, when the [[E. M. Johnson Water Treatment Plant]] became operational. The Bain facility continued operating in tandem with other plants until it was taken out of service in 1987. Portions of the site, including storage reservoirs, continued to be used for backup water storage into the 1990s.<ref name=":0" />

== Architecture and physical characteristics ==
[[File:Bain-Water-Treatment-Interior.jpg|thumb|Interior of the Bain Water Treatment plant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/catalog/bh2141pnc006#?c=&m=&cv=&xywh=-4554%2C280%2C13223%2C3684|title=Interior view, Raleigh Water Works and E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina|website=Preservation North Carolina|date=Unknown|access-date=January 31, 2026}}</ref>]]
The main treatment building is a multi-story brick structure designed in the Art Moderne style and reflects the design standards of water treatment facilities constructed under the federal Public Works Administration. The building consists of a central head house with extended wings housing the operating floor, filter galleries, and pump rooms. Interior spaces were designed with decorative brickwork and prominent public areas.<ref name=":0" />

According to county parcel records, the building contains approximately 28,499 square feet of interior space.<ref>{{Cite govdoc
 |title=Raleigh Historic Landmark Designation Report: E. B. Bain Water Treatment Plant
 |agency=City of Raleigh
 |doc_type=(Landmark designation report)
 |date=(2006)
 |url=https://www.hpo.nc.gov/pdfs/er-20-0667/open
 |access-date=January 31, 2026
}}</ref>

== Ownership and redevelopment ==
On February 6, 2006, the Bain Water Treatment Plant was purchased by [[Empire Properties]], operating under the name Aqua Empire. The site was marketed for adaptive reuse following its decommissioning as a municipal facility.<ref>{{Cite web
 |title=North Carolina General Warranty Deed
|url=https://rodrecords.wake.gov/web/web/integration/search?field_BookPageID.Page=01713&field_BookPageID.Volume=011808
 |website=Wake County Register of Deeds
 |access-date=January 31, 2026
}}</ref>

== Historic designation ==
On May 18, 1999, the [[Raleigh City Council]] passed an ordinance designating the water plant as a local historic landmark.<ref>{{Cite govdoc|title=Ordinance No. (1999) 564. An Ordinance Designating the E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant, 1810 Fayetteville Road in the Planning Jurisdiction of Raleigh, North Carolina, a Historic Landmark|agency=Raleigh City Council|doc_type=Ordinance|date=May 18, 1999|url=https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR10/EBBainWaterTreatmentPlant_LandmarkOrdinanceAndReport.pdf|access-date=January 31, 2026}}</ref>

On October 21, 1999, the NC State Historic Preservation Office submitted the building to the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
<references />

[[Category: Historic structures]]