WATER SOURCE
Construction of two 1.5-million-gallon water tanks nears completion
Charlottetown residents will soon be enjoying water from the city’s new source when tanks are completed.
Charlottetown residents will soon be enjoying water from the city’s new water source.
Work is in the final stages on completing two 1.5 million gallon storage (or 5,000 cubic metres) tanks in Miltonvale that will store water pumping from six new wells in a nearby field.
It’s all part of a multi-year $16 million project to create a second source of water for the city and take some of the enormous pressure off the Winter River-Tracadie Bay Watershed, that has up until now served city residents all by itself.
Deputy Mayor Mike Duffy, who also served as vice-chairman of the water and sewer utility committee, said the two storage tanks will serve an important role.
“It’s always nice to have water on hand in case of emergencies, whether it be a weather emergency of a fire where there is a heavy draw over a short period of time on your water supply,’’ Duffy said Friday.
Each of the tanks hold about half of the water the city uses in the run of a single day.
City council approved the project, awarding the $3.3-million tender to Ontario-based Greatario Engineered Storage Systems in March.
One of the local contractors, WM&M, is building a booster station adjacent to the two water tanks.
Rodney Murray, with WM&M, said the well field feeds water into the tanks and when the water goes through the booster station there are pumps to push it into the system.
“These pumps fill the water lines all through Charlottetown,’’ Murray said. “The water tanks are near done. There’s one cover left to go on. They were going to put it on this week and then the winds got a little high. They’re coming back Wednesday to put the cover on.’’
Each of the tanks measures 84 feet in diameter and 40 feet high to the eave and 56 feet to the peak once the roofs are put in place.
Murray estimates it will take another two to three weeks to finish the tanks while local sub contractors will be on site for another two to three months.
Murray also noted that the existence of the tanks and the extra water means less stress on all the city’s wells and on the water system as a whole.
Duffy said the city considered putting up one huge tower as opposed to the two that exist.
“It was more economical than building one large one and the two reservoir design enables the city to take one out of service for maintenance while one remains available,’’ said the deputy mayor.
No firm dates have been announced but the new water system is expected to be online late this year or early next.