Galveston has a fascinating history of sourcing clean, drinkable water. The early inhabitants of Galveston collected and stored rainwater from shallow depressions or ponds, mainly for drinking and bathing. Drilling wells in Galveston was difficult as many of Galveston's wells produced salty and sediment-filled water. As the 1800s progressed, public water systems began to be introduced in the United States, and Galveston finally made plans for their own in 1870. This was a milestone moment as dirty water was a breeding ground for disease. To mitigate the continual threat of yellow fever, the city instituted garbage collection, improved streets to reduce muddy conditions and standing water, and sought a new source of drinkable water. Due to the unreliability of rainfall, water had to be imported during drought. In response to the city of Galveston's, call for a waterworks franchise, the Galveston Water Company was formed to provide a waterworks system for fire extinguishment, sanitation, and other purposes. The city needed to look towards the mainland at artesian wells and pump the water directly to the island. In 1888, Galveston hired two contractors to drill seven wells to produce 2 million gallons of water daily for Galveston Island. These wells access fresh, drinkable water at depths 400 to 1100 feet.

In 1895, the Alta Loma Water system was constructed and included 30 wells, producing 6 million gallons of drinking water a day for the citizens of Galveston. The system had a 30-inch cast iron water main that was 18 and a half miles in length, which ran from Alta Loma near Modern Day Santa Fe, Texas, to Galveston. The 30th Street pumping station complex included a 105,000-gallon receiving tank and a 1.1 million-gallon iron reservoir, and a 152-foot 25-foot diameter standpipe, which held over 500,000 gallons and stood tall over the city of Galveston. The standpipe survived the 1900 storm, but the Waterworks facility was destroyed and rebuilt into the building we see today. Some of Galveston's most famous panoramic views were taken from this water tower. You can still see the foundation of this water tower on the southwest corner of the Galveston Waterworks facility today. Galveston's Water Supply System is an incredible example of how far the city has come in terms of providing safe, reliable drinking water to its citizens.