Cleveland "Crib"

Have you ever wondered exactly were all the water that is provided to Cleveland comes from. Well along the beautiful shore of Lake Erie about five miles out lies the Cleveland Water Supply that provides Cleveland with clean sanitized water.  Cleveland founded one of the greatest ways to improve the city.  Without the Five Mile Crib Cleveland would not have evolved to what it has become.  Clevelanders depend on the water source to live and build a life.  Lake Erie is a great water source and why not uses the crib to utilize something great.  People ask why the Cleveland crib is such a great important aspect to Cleveland, I mean by all means it does not look as near as good for how much it does for the city of Cleveland.   

In the first year of production one hundred and twenty seven gallons of clean purified water were pumped through the tunnel to the cleaning base.  In 1911 Cleveland introduced a way to better the water.  They called this process purification.  This process cleaned and made healthier water for Cleveland cavitation’s to drink.  “In 1916 the intake tunnel from the five mile crib to the cleaning base was increased to 26,000’ from shore” (Case Western Reserve University). This named Cleveland to have one of the largest intake tunnels at the time.  This tunnel was completed in 1904.  “During the year’s 1940’s new editions were rising for the Crib such as four lake tunnels, two filtration plants and three major pumping systems” (Case Western Reserve).  All of these additions to the plant were completed in 1951.  This helped the plant grow to a daily capacity of 50 mill gallons.  “In 1970 the system had over 4,000 miles of water mains” (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History).

During this time period people ask what a big metal building in the middle of Lake Erie is doing for us Clevelanders every day. Well the crib is purifying the water we drink and use every day for over a billion and a half people.  The Crib is purifying each day about one hundred and sixty five million gallons of water.  When I went to visit the crib I wondered how it was run because I mean it would definitely be hard to live on It in the middle of the lake. I soon found out that the Five Mile Crib is strictly run of an automation system. “This steel structure monitors wind energy for by Green Ohio Energy” (All Things Cleveland Ohio).  The Five Mile Crib has a camera people refer to as the “crib cam” this camera looks out over Lake Erie.  Today this system is doing a great deal of work to provide for us with water we use and need every day. This make the Crib  a great asset to Cleveland.  The Crib is also creating many jobs for Clevelanders.  It pumps in water to the cleaning base and that’s where human beings comes in to help move along the purification system at the base.  The Crib benefits in more ways then we think.

In the future the Five Mile Crib is going to have more ways to purify and supply more water to Cleveland.  The Crib is going to also become more “green” and look for ways to save energy.  The Crib is looking to enlarge is capacity and become more efficient with providing water to Cleveland.  Cleveland is always looking for ways to improve this great machine we have providing for us every day.  Cleveland is lucky to have such a great source of resource to call ours.

The Five Mile Crib has helped Cleveland become what it is today.  Every day we wake up and take a shower or drink water we use it in our everyday needs.  Without water we could not survive.  Let’s just say this big orange steel building may not be pretty but it has made Cleveland a beautiful place to be.  It makes us be able to call Cleveland home.   The Five Mile Crib has let us use the wonderful Lake Erie and turn it into valuable water resource.  Every day the Five Mile Crib helps us make our city a whole lot greater.