News

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.

“Buildings and structures change over time, but the stories attached to them remain part of the fabric of the campus,” said Dean Heather Bruce. “For those who spent time at NSAC and the Agricultural Campus, the water tower will likely always have a place in their memories of campus.”

For generations of students, faculty, staff and alumni, the water tower was more than a piece of campus infrastructure. It was a familiar part of the skyline and something you saw on your way to class, across the fields or from the residence windows.

Its removal this month marks the end of an era, but not the end of the memories connected to it.

Alumni, staff, students and visitors to campus are welcome to take photos of the tower during Homecoming Weekend October 15-17, 2026.

The tower will be dismantled by the end of the month.