Dormant neighborhood water reservoir slated for demolition
San Jose facility taken out of service in 1980s
A long-dormant water reservoir in the San Jose neighborhood is slated for demolition, though actual work isn’t expected to begin until next spring.
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority hosted a public meeting Thursday to discuss the demolition of the San Jose Reservoir near Broadway and San Jose SE.
According to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority decade plan, the San Jose Wells were decommissioned in the 1980s “due to groundwater contamination from fuel storage facilities in the area.”
The San Jose Reservoir and pumping station were also taken out of service at that time.
The reservoir sits on nearly an acre of land in the San Jose neighborhood. It is 108 feet in diameter and 40 feet tall, and has a 2.5 million gallon capacity.
“The reservoir was used to treat and store water, but hasn’t been used for a long time,” said project manager Jane Rael. “There’s no water in there now.”
The reservoir demolition plan will be designed by an engineering consultant. Then the water authority will submit the plan to the state for approval — an estimated 90-day process. In the winter of 2019, the water authority will start the contract bid process for the project. Demolition of the reservoir, the pump station and two small buildings is expected to begin in the spring of 2020, and will take about six months.
“We’re hoping the impact to the community will be minimal,” Rael said. “Noise and dust will be monitored to comply with regulations. All demolition will happen during the day.”
Water authority representatives at the meeting said the project is still in the beginning stages. They don’t yet have an estimated cost for the demolition, and the future use of the lot post-demolition is also up in the air. Meeting attendees suggested a walking trail or small park be built on the land.
The water authority said it will likely host another public meeting this summer to discuss the demolition.