Petersburg officials report new 2,000,000-gallon tank 80% complete; force main and pump station work to finish in 2026

Mike, a city staff member, told the Petersburg City Council at its March 4 work session that the Port Creek/Poor Creek program remains on schedule and within budget as it advances several linked water and wastewater projects.

The project set includes a new 2,000,000-gallon water storage tank (about 80% complete), a new water booster pump station at the Walnut Hill tank, a new water transmission main down Route 301, and replacement of an existing force main that currently runs through the battlefield corridor. Mike said contractors on the projects include Landmark Structures (tank construction), Waco (booster pump-related work) and Morgan Contracting (force main). He said the tank work is expected to finish in October 2025 and that the force main work is scheduled to complete in May 2026.

The project funding and spending figures presented by Mike show an almost $7,000,000 federal economic development grant supporting the storage-tank work, with about $5,800,000 already spent and roughly $2,400,000 remaining. He said the city’s match to that grant is 15.6%, described as approximately $1,200,000. For another portion of the work Mike said there remains approximately $4,300,000 left to spend and that about $1,500,000 has been spent so far on that contract.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for clarity about who the new infrastructure will serve and the project sequencing. Mike said the third pressure zone created by the new storage tank and booster will improve water pressure for the south, west and southeast parts of the city, specifically citing service improvements for the casino area and a nearby pharmaceutical cluster.

Mike described construction technique and schedule details: the tank column and shell are being welded on site and the contractor will jack the tower up into position to complete the structure within several weeks. He also said some contracts include a Buy American clause and that long lead items such as large pipe have been ordered and are on-site or en route. On the force main, he said that a rebid was required to bring costs within budget and that splitting the work into two packages improved bid results and contractor participation.

Council members asked operational questions. Councilman Covert asked whether an existing tank near the “food line” would remain in service; Mike said it will remain in place as pressure zone 2 and act as a buffer while flows are shifted to the new facility. Council members also sought plain-language clarification about the nomenclature: staff said “clean water” in current usage can refer to wastewater projects under some funding programs, while separate “drinking water” projects are described differently by funding agencies.

Staff said construction management and inspection are being provided by city staff and that communications produced an internal video showing recent progress at the Wagner Road tank site. Mike concluded his update by saying, "We're on schedule and on budget still."