December 20, 2021 |
Officials in Saratoga are moving forward with a plan to deactivate one of the two, blue water storage tanks that sit above the town on the ridge south of the airport.
While its ultimate fate is unknown, the bolted tank will be taken out of operation sometime next year. It was built in 2002. The white stains running down the 100-foot steel walls the welded standpipe reveal the problem. The tank is leaking at the seams. The EPA ordered the town to repair or remove the storage tank. The first step is taking it out of operation. Public Works Superintendent Jon Winter told Town Council at its last meeting that he has started the necessary paperwork
The other blue tank, 60 feet to the east, is not leaking. It was built in 1979. Although much older, its welded design provides greater structural integrity. The newer, bolted tank has leaked from the majority of its panels since it first went into operation, according to 2019 analysis. At a September meeting of the Joint Powers Water and Sewer Board, Winter told the board that the EPA had given the town a simple either/or choice.
Winter will prepare the necessary paperwork to have the problem tank decommissioned and taken out of operation. Ultimately, the tank will be removed. The plumbing dug up and capped. At JPB meetings, board members have expressed a consensus opinion that repairing the leaks would be throwing good money after bad. The JPB owns the tank.
Water studies have shown Saratoga could function with one storage tank. In fact, a Level 1 Master Plan written in 2019 indicates that water freshness could be an issue compounded by operating two one-million gallon tanks. The tanks are filled to 95 feet in summer and 85 feet in the winter. They’re never drained, and the water does not have a way to circulate . The tanks use a single inlet/outlet design. Modeling shows that the water at the top of the tank stays at the top. The Level 1 study notes that “high water age can produce disinfectant decay, byproduct formation and nitrification, to name a few.”
Aging water in municipal systems is a concern across the state. The Wyoming Water Development Commission now requires water age evaluations in Master Plans. One official told Bigfoot 99 that the water at the top of the tanks are great for fighting fires, but perhaps not for drinking.
Another issue is having the town’s entire water supply located in a single spot. Having the two tanks located next to each may be a good thing for some purposes. It’s also a bad idea. A lack of redundancy in any system poses a potential security issue. The JPB is eyeing a location east of the river for a second tank after the leaking tank is removed. A section of high ground between the water well field and the town is considered an optimal site. Rather than another 100-foot high tank, a low-profile design, only 20-foot high with a 100-foot diameter, is being considered. Town councilman Jon Nelson and JPB member Russell Waldner discussed the idea at a water and sewer board meeting on September 8th.
The bolted blue tank that leaked from the start cost $1 million dollars 20 years ago when the town purchased it, said a water and sewer board member at a recent meeting. A new tank, even a smaller one, could cost as much or more now.
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