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Emerald Channel Water Intake building. Peace Bridge in background. The 1907 building takes in 125 million gallons of drinking water for Buffalo every day. Because the intake operates by gravity, the building is rarely visited. Water rushes into the round brick and concrete building through grates and collects in a circular pool. The water drops 60 feet to a 12-foot diameter, mile-long concrete tunnel burrowed under the river bed. It ends up at the Col. Ward Pumping Station at the foot of Porter Avenue, where it is treated at the filtration plant and sent throughout the city. Atop the red roof is a guard light for passing ships. Around the exterior wall is a balcony embroidered by curving wrought iron. - Text source: "Cobwebs Can't Hide Intake Beauty," by Bob Dearing, Courier Express.

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