Crews set the pilings that will support London’s new water tower.
(Posted Dec. 23, 2015)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
London’s efforts to increase its water capacity are moving along.
The city is erecting a one million-gallon water tower and an automated satellite water plant on 20 acres off of Route 142 near Deer Creek Honey Farm. The facility will double the city’s water capacity.
The pilings to support the tower should be poured and set by this coming February, said Stan Kavy, London Board of Public Utilities (BPU) member. In the spring, crews will assemble and partially paint the tower on the ground. By fall, the tower will be hoisted by crane onto the pilings after which the rest of the painting will be completed. The new tower will be painted to match the city’s existing water tower. Next winter, the tower will be filled with water.
The second phase of the project—construction of the water plant—will begin in January 2017 with the bidding process. BPU will first draw up specs for the structure and submit them to the Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Once EPA signs off, the project can go out to bid. The plant will run on its own with controls at the city’s main water plant. The plant and the tower will go online in the summer of 2017, Kavy said.
Two wells will supply the water. One was drilled years ago; the other went in recently with the start of the tower project.
“The two wells have been tested many times and are in good shape. There’s more than enough water to carry the capacity,” Kavy said.
BPU’s decision to pursue the water tower/plant project was prompted partially by past water capacity issues. Three summers ago, due to low rainfall, the city nearly ran out of water. Residents and local factories were asked to cut back on water use until the situation was rectified.
The second tower also will allow the city to handle water capacity and pressure needs of future industry expansions and additions, Kavy said.
