Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure Hillside Tank topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff recommend removing hillside water tank from service; move to prepare PRV upgrade and plans
Summary
After inspection found an inaccessible leak and deteriorated 70-year-old hillside tank, staff recommended discontinuing its use and developing plans to upgrade the Ross valve PRV building; the committee moved to proceed with planning and design work.
Seneca County water-and-sewer staff presented findings from a recent inspection of the 1955 hillside water tank after a leak was discovered and recommended taking the tank out of service and preparing plans and specifications to upgrade the downstream pressure-reducing valve (PRV) site and associated piping.
Staff said the tank (installed in 1955) has a leak through a pipe that is presently encased in concrete, preventing a simple band repair without removing structural concrete that forms part of the tank foundation. Inspectors noted extensive age-related deterioration and that the tank is oversized for current demand, producing inadequate turnover (staff estimated current turnover closer to 14–15 days versus the 5-day standard). Staff presented three options: (1) full rehabilitation (estimated roughly $700,000, with material uncertainty because the tank is 70 years old), (2) take the tank out of service and upgrade the Ross valve PRV building and piping to maintain system storage and redundancy (preliminary estimate ~ $105,000 for PRV pit work, subject to scope), or (3) do nothing and accept ongoing leakage.
Staff estimated the leak was losing about 5–10 gallons per minute. At an approximate water cost of $6 per 1,000 gallons, the annual loss was calculated between roughly $15,000 and $31,000 per year; at current rates the loss would pay back certain upgrade costs in under five years. Based on technical analysis and system needs, staff recommended option 2: discontinue use of the hillside tank, construct or upgrade the PRV site to preserve system resilience, and coordinate with the local health department on regulatory requirements. A motion directing staff to begin developing plans and specifications for upgrading the Ross valve PRV site and to plan removal of the tank from water-service use was moved and seconded by committee members; the motion was carried by voice vote.
Supervisors discussed long-term system changes tied to other planned projects and noted that, if the hillside tank is removed from service, its tower structure may retain value for radio or cellular equipment. Staff agreed to circulate the inspection report to the board and coordinate with the health department and with water-district planning on next steps.
