The Charles B. Bacon Water Filtration Plant was constructed by the City of Middletown, to bring the water distributed from their Mt. Higby Reservoir into compliance with federal and state drinking water standards.

The plant has an average daily capacity of 2 million gallons per day (MGD) with a maximum day capacity of 4 MGD. Plant processes include pre-aeration (for removal of volatile taste and odor producing substances and to assist in removal of iron and manganese), coagulation, flocculation, settling, filtration and chemical treatment.

The plant also includes a one million gallon clearwell. Plant instrumentation and control systems permit a single operator to monitor and control the plant's operation from the main control room, and the plant can be operated using a single shift operator and part-time assistant. Data on critical plant functions are relayed to the City's Police Department dispatcher via telecommunications hookups so that the plant operator can be advised of any departure from process set points at times when he is not present at the plant.