By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald
Bonney Lake's new water storage tank is getting some finishing touches before the water starts filling.
The 15 million gallon tank located east of Home Depot on 96th Street East was being wrapped with steel cables last week.
King Cooper II, project manager from the Public Works Department, said as soon as the wrapping was completed the tank would be filled in three stages.
“We fill it one-third, then test,” Cooper said. “We fill another one-third then test for leaks again before filling the final one-third.”
A booster pump station next to the tank should be finished sometime in mid-summer.
The tank was being wrapped with one-half inch galvanized steel cables from top to bottom, which adds support.
One gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds and 15 million gallons weighs about 124 million pounds or 62,250 tons.
The tank is meant to augment the city's water supply during peak use periods during the summer months.
The tank is a series of concrete slabs for the walls with plastic seals between the joints. The roof is concrete supported by 116 columns inside the tank.
The walls are 14 inches thick the top 10 inches thick. The entire tank used about 4,000 yards of concrete.
A 12-inch water main will fill the tank and a 16-inch main will be used for water going out. A third 12-inch main will be an overflow.
Skaar Construction built the tank for $6.1 million.
The tank has been on the city's drawing board since 2001.
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.
