End of an era: Agricultural Campus water tower comes down after 70 years

For more than a century, water towers have been part of the landscape of the Agricultural Campus.

The former Nova Scotia Agricultural College had 60,000 gallons of elevated water storage supplied by five wells on campus from as early as 1906.

Following the 1946 science-building fire, the campus went through a major period of rebuilding and expansion in the early 50s. Students returned from their temporary Debert location in 1953 with the opening of Harlow Institute and a central heating plant.

With a rising student population and an expanding campus, the current water tower was constructed in 1955, replacing the original tower that had stood for nearly five decades.

The water tower, 110 ft high and holding 104,000 gallons, has become a familiar landmark for generations of NSAC students and alumni. The tower was not only a landmark, but an important part of the campus water system. The elevated tank provided water-storage capacity for the campus, including equalization and emergency storage.

In 2017, the campus transitioned from its own wells and elevated storage to the Town of Truro municipal water system to ensure a reliable source of potable water for campus. The tower was decommissioned and now, more than 70 years after it was erected, it is coming down.