Kirkwood Boulevard Tank Put Into Service
Kirkwood Boulevard Tank Put Into Service
August 21, 2019
Kirkwood Boulevard Tank Put into Service
A new 1.5 million-gallon elevated water tank on Kirkwood Boulevard officially joined the City of Cedar Rapids’ distribution system on Thursday, August 15. The tank serves nearby homes, businesses, and industry.
After water leaves the City’s treatment plants, it makes its way through 660-plus miles of water mains and through various pumps across Cedar Rapids. A number of storage tanks reserve water for use by the fire department and during peak water demand. These system elements all work together to balance and stabilize water pressure.
The tank on Kirkwood Boulevard joins a network of gravity-based water storage units. The new tank specifically serves the area south of Highway 30 from the airport to areas east of Kirkwood Boulevard. The tank will support expected regional customer needs for years to come.
The Water division constructed the Kirkwood Boulevard tank and other associated projects to improve the overall resiliency of the water system. Additional water main projects along Ely Road SW and Otis Road SE, completed in 2018, connect to an existing river crossing — improving the connection between the water systems on both sides of the river and providing redundancy. New pumping equipment installed in two booster stations also improve the system’s efficiency and effectiveness.
“The 2008 flood demonstrated that storage was a big factor in our keeping pressure in the water system until production could be restored,” explains Bruce Jacobs, Utilities Engineering Manager. “This work will make us even more prepared for future events.”
The project was conceived in 2009, and studies began in earnest in 2013. A previous water storage tank on Kirkwood Boulevard was demolished in 2016, and construction on the new tank began in 2017. After being cleaned, flushed, and having its water quality tested, the new tank came online in August 2019.
Although the increase in pressure is only 5 to 10 psi, customers in the area served by the new Kirkwood Boulevard tank are advised to check their home plumbing fittings for any drips that may have resulted due to the increase in pressure.
The total cost of construction for the tank was approximately $3.5 million. Booster station improvements cost approximately $1.1 million and the new water mains cost about $1.4 million.
