Bay-O-Vista in San Leandro in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Giant Water Filters
Lake Chabot Historical Walk
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, February 3, 2014
1. Giant Water Filters Marker
Caption: Water was forced through the sand contained in these drums in order to filter out impurities.
The giant drums in front of you were designed and built in 1888 as part of the filtration plant that processed water from Lake Chabot. Water was forced through these sand filters to remove impurities. Named after the engineer who designed them, the Hyatt Filters are preserved here as part of a Historic Engineering Landmark.
Lake Chabot Dam was built in 1874. The Contra Costa Water Company initially tried to filter the water through a series of screens. The screens were unable, however, to capture impurities, suspended particles, and small insects from the delivery system. Public complaints about the sulfuric flavor of the water eventually led to the design and installation of the Hyatt filters 14 years after the dam was built. Although no longer functional today, these filters stand as testimony to an era when water delivery processes were more rudimentary.
Erected 2012 by East Bay Regional Park District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 37° 43.921′ N, 122° 7.791′ W. Marker is in San Leandro, California, in Alameda County. It is in Bay-O-Vista. Marker can be reached
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lake Chabot Historical Walk (a few steps from this marker); Roots From Another Land (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Memorial to the Chinese Laborers (about 600 feet away); Filtration Basins (about 700 feet away); A Zoo, a Monkey, and a Mansion Here Too! (approx. 0.3 miles away); Tunnel No. 1 Control Shaft (approx. 0.3 miles away); Yem-Po: Chinese Labor Camp (approx. 0.4 miles away); Taming the Waters’ Flow (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Leandro.
More about this marker. The one mile Lake Chabot Historical Walk begins at the parking lot at the end of Estudillo Avenue. This marker is about 100 yards from the beginning of the trail.
Additional keywords. Engineering feats
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, February 3, 2014
2. Giant Water Filters Marker
June 11, 2021
3. Giant Water Filters
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 9, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 487 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 9, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 3. submitted on June 16, 2021. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
