The City of Grand Junction is seeking funding — and public comments — as it pursues plans to restore an historic water treatment plant.

The city is applying for a $150,000 grant from the State Historical Fund to help cover a $200,000 project to restore the Orchard Mesa Water Treatment Plant — the first facility of its kind in the Grand Valley when it was built in 1939.

A public meeting on the project is set for 5:30 p.m. July 28 at the Business Incubator Center at 2591 Legacy Way in Grand Junction.

Several uses have been proposed for the water plant, a two-story brick and concrete building, including a water museum and education center. 

“We are very excited to consider the potential of retaining the history of Grand Junction water that is embodied by the original water plant,” said Troy Reynolds, chairman of the Grand Junction Historic Preservation Board. “If we are successful with our grant application and able to restore the building, current and future generations will have an opportunity to understand and appreciate the early challenges of delivering clean water to the community.”

The city listed the water plant and associated structures on its register of historic sites, structures and districts.

The city received a $15,000 grant from the State Historical Fund to complete an historic structure assessment to determine the condition of the plant and what steps would be required to preserve it. The assessment outlined three phases of rehabilitation work and a final phase to change the occupancy of the building.

The water plant was constructed in 1938 and 1939 with funding from the Public Words Administration and initially had the capacity to treat 5 million gallons of water a day. The facility was upgraded over the years. It was decommissioned in 1969 when a new facility was put into service.