The Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) has placed the new Schoolhouse Water Tank into service.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the implementation of this important upgrade will be held on March 16 at 3 p.m. at the site of the new tank at the northwest end of Buena Vista Street in Moss Beach.
This recently constructed facility holds 100,000 gallons of potable water. A second 100,000 gallon tank will be erected at the same site by the end of this calendar year.
Phase 1 of the Schoolhouse Tank replacement project focused on the construction of the new water storage tank along with required replacement of some older existing pipeline that had come to the end of its service life.
Phase 2 of the project will add an additional storage tank, which will not only increase capacity for fire flow and consumer demand, but will also give MWSD the flexibility needed to properly maintain these tanks.
“We have already prepared everything for the next tank. It will be a lot easier and faster to construct the second one," said General Manager Clemens Heldmaier in a recent press release.
The old Schoolhouse Tank was in service for nearly seven decades. The roof of the tank had deteriorated over time and was found in 2003 to be in poor condition.
Supports were installed by the District’s predecessor to maintain the structure of the roof, but that was a temporary solution. Replacement of the tank was necessary to maintain the integrity of the community’s water supply.
One very important feature of a community water system is its ability to provide reliable pressure and quantity for both domestic use and fire flow demands. A water system that effectively meets these two requirements must have an effective and reliable water storage capability.
Both new water tanks will conform to all current American Water-Works Association design and construction specifications, including being sized and constructed for seismic events.
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