Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A decade old problem between the former township and city of Forest Lake water supply system should be solved by late next reason.

That should happen next year when a new 750,000-gallon water storage tank is brought on line, said City Administrator Chip Robinson.

Work on the new tank located on the grounds of the Bixby Park Compost Facility began this fall.

The new storage tank will greatly expand the city ability to stockpile water and will enable components of the old city and township municipal water system to operate as one.

That hasn’t been the case because of an elevation problem with the old township water tower south of Forest Lake High School. Robinson said that the old township tower, now nearly a decade old, was approximately 50 feet taller than the one city tower in use, thus creating pressure problems for the two systems.

The elevation problem will be eliminated when the new north tower is completed and put in use, he said.

The new tower will replace the 500,000-gallon water tower that stands over the city public works building and Forest Lake Fire Station on SW 4th Street.

That tower, which has been out of service for six months, will eventually come down, although it will continue to serve as a satellite relay station for some time, he said.

The addition of the new north tower should end the city’s need for two pressure zones in the municipal water system.

System details

The new water tower is a $1.667 million investment for the city.

C.B. & I. Construction, Inc., Clive, Iowa, was the low base bidder among five firms to seek the contract awarded recently by Forest Lake City Council. Bids ranged from the low proposal to a high of $1.913 million.

The city this fall sold bonds to pay for the construction costs. The bonds will be paid from reserves in the water and sewer enterprise fund and user fees.

No property taxes are involved in the water system improvement, Robinson said.

A substantial cost savings was realized, he said, by using the Bixby Park land rather than buying land elsewhere.

“We looked at the Menard’s site but that land cost was about a half million dollars,” Robinson said. “The compost site was ours and didn’t cost us a thing.”

The new tower will marry the south tower to the existing city water supply system that includes three deep-water wells and two underground storage facilities that enhance the water storage capacity.

When linked to the 400,000-gallon south tower and the two underground tanks at well sites, the 750,000-gallon new elevated tank will boost the city’s water storage capacity to 1.5 million gallons.

“We also had a great need for additional water storage growth,” Robinson said.

The new north tower will be a white pedestal spheroid, similar in design to the south tower, Robinson said.

The new tower will be fed by the three existing city wells. The three wells are located on NW 3rd St. south of the Forest Lake School Bus Garage, at a pump house and treatment facility north of Forest Lake City Hall and at a pump house and treatment facility north of Forest Lake High School and TH-97.

Robinson said the city is studying the final design for tank name lettering at the north site.

The south tank will also see a new lettering design. Robinson said the south face of the tank will carry the city name while the north face of the tank facing the high school athletic field will carry the school logo and maroon and gold colors.

Construction work on the tower is expected to be completed over the winter. The final painting will take place with warmer weather next spring, Robinson said..

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