Tank proposal for Exc. Center site
Published on August 28th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - If the proposed office park at the former Boston Regional Medical Center site fails to come to fruition, it could be home to a mammoth water tank in the near future.
The Massachusetts Water Resource Authority’s Northern Low Service Storage Project calls for the construction of a 20 million gallon concrete tank for water storage. The main purpose for the tank is to hold in reserve, one day’s worth of water usage for the region in a contaminated free container. The tank would be filled at night to be less intrusive and used to supplement the water pressure during the day. The tank, covering three acres of land, would support the water systems in Stoneham, Melrose, Medford and Malden. Spot Pond, once a water resource for the town, was taken off-line in 1997.
The BRMC site is not the preferred site for the massive water tank as erroneously reported in the Boston Globe, according to MWRA spokesperson, Jonathan Yeo. Moreover it is one of six different locations being considered. This covered storage project has been a part of the MWRA’s capital program for many years.
Each site must meet basic engineering measures, such as height, levelness and proximity to district pipelines. The pros and cons will then be weighed, taking into consideration the cost, engineering and environmental impact. “Hopefully,” according to Yeo, “we will submit an environmental form this fall.”
The MWRA started working in July with a selected group of residents and advisors to come up with a conceptual design, and will meet again in September. The September 18, meeting hopes to narrow down the six selected sites with discussion on preliminary cost estimates. Five out of the six proposed locations are on land owned by the Metropolitan District Commission.
The largest covered concrete water tank in the country is located just off the Mass Pike near Route 128. The sod-covered tank is hard to notice because it is hidden in the hills and disguised with grass and flowers. The concrete tank holds 115 million gallons of water and covers 16 acres of land.
The MWRA received funds from the federal Environmental Protection Agency in the amount of $115,000, the maximum amount allotted to help in this project. The funds went for water system analysis for closely monitoring our water systems. The MWRA has also benefited from taking advantage of the state revolving loan fund.
Construction of the proposed Northern Low Service Storage Project’s water tank is tentatively scheduled to start in the spring of 2004.
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