Buried Water Tank Project
Orem’s adopted 2016 Culinary Water Master Plan identified current and future water storage needs for the City of Orem. Specifically, a 10 million-gallon water storage deficit was identified. The City has proposed a 10 million gallon underground tank to meet this deficit.
Two sites have been proposed as possible sites due to optimal pressure zones, pipe sizes, pipe velocity, elevation, current needs, future growth.
Community Park (south of Mountain View High School) has been identified as one potential location for the tank.
The southwest corner of 400 S & 400 W has also been identified as a potential location for the tank.
In 2014, the City of Orem hired Bowen, Collins & Associates (BCA) to perform a culinary water master plan. In 2016, this master plan was approved and adopted by the Orem City Council. A water utility master plan is a technical guidance document that answers the following questions:
- What’s the Problem?
- What to Do About It?
Water Storage Deficit
As communities grow, water needs increase. Three independent studies of Orem’s water system identified a water storage shortage of 10 million gallons. Up until now, Orem has had access to other storage that is not available to Orem moving forward.
Inadequate Water Pressure
The center part of the city experiences inadequate water pressure, as shown in this image. The water tank project in the central zone will help balance the operational demands and fluctuating pressures into the future.
Pressure Problems & Extreme Velocities
All of Orem’s water storage is currently in the northeast part of the city. Transporting water this many miles requires extreme velocities which is bad for the pipes and overall water pressure. In the future, the Central Pressure Zone (CPZ) will experience pressure failures and excessive pipe velocities without addressing this concern, as shown here.
Diversification of Assets
Having storage location options for emergencies is good water system planning (Basically, don’t put all your eggs in one basket).
BURIED WATER TANK – 10 Million gallons
The city proposes a 10 million gallon underground tank. The tank would be completely buried. Community Park or the SW Corner of 400 W & 400 S have been identified as the most advantageous locations due to optimal pressure zones, pipe sizes, pipe velocity, elevation, current needs, and future growth. The safety of the community will be the top priority during construction.
PARK RESTORATION AND BEYOND
If Community Park is chosen, Community Park would be completely restored with all new amenities including playgrounds, parking lots, pavilions, trees, and more. With the water tank completely underground, the park can be restored to its original beauty and beyond.
NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATION
It is anticipated that the project will start in 2021 and will take approximately 24 months to complete. The city knows that a project of this magnitude can be a scary thing for the neighborhood which is why residents from the area are invited to participate in the planning process. The City of Orem will hire an independent public engagement team to gather resident feedback and keep everyone in the loop on how the project is going. This critical project will enable the city to continue to provide safe, reliable, and affordable water for generations to come.
- Construction is anticipated to commence in 2021.
- The excavation for the 10 MG water tank is anticipated to be approximately 18 feet deep into the ground.
- The park will be restored, and all amenities will be replaced with new improvements (e.g. concrete, asphalt, parking lots, pavilion, trees, etc.).
- The overall dimensions of the buried water tank could be roughly 430 feet long by 190 feet wide by 16 feet deep.
- The culinary water well is anticipated to be 24” in diameter drilled to a depth of 600 to 1,000 feet.
- The building for the culinary water well and booster station is planned to be combined into one structure that will be designed to blend into the residential neighborhood.
- Further engineering analyses and final designs are a part of the next steps over the next several months.
- An independent public information consultant will be hired to provide progress updates and obtain citizen input throughout the design and construction process.
- The City will be seeking public input throughout the design and construction process via in-person meetings, virtual meetings, emails, phone calls, a new web site, etc.
- Water, Sewer, and Storm Water Master Plan Presentation – Sept. 8, 2020
- Utility Master Plans Update – Dec. 8, 2020
- City Council Presentation: Utility System Revenue Bonds Update – Jan. 12, 2021
- Water Tank Location Presentation – Jan. 12, 2021
- Utility Rate Comprehensive Financial Sustainability Update – Jan. 26, 2021
- Storage Tank Evaluation & Location Study
Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs will be updated as more questions come in and further information is available.
First Digital Q & A with Project Leaders
We gathered all of the submitted questions and sat down with the team leading this project to get answers to these frequently asked questions.
NOTE: These videos were recorded before the potential location at 400 W 400 S was available.
Public Works Director Chris Tschirki and Water Division Manager Neal Winterton answer questions about why Orem needs this tank, how the tank system works, system maintenance, and more. (9 min 50 sec)
Public Works Director Chris Tschirki answers questions about the process behind deciding on Community Park and alternative locations for the tank.
(5 min 24 sec)
City Engineer Sam Kelly answers questions about the construction timeline, process, and efforts to keep neighbors safe during the build.
(10 min 35 sec)
Community Meeting Recap
We held two digital community meetings to discuss this project. The recordings of these meetings are available below.
This meeting was mainly focused on the proposal of locating the tank at Community Park.
This meeting was mainly focused on the proposal of locating the tank at the Farley property at 400 W and 400 S.