 |
|
PaintSquare Daily News is available in three editions: Industrial Only Commercial Only Combined Industrial & Commercial Your free subscription also includes: Special topical editions and Weekend Brief—a recap of the week’s top news and some great in-depth reads. Subscribe now: paintsquare.com/psdn |
Long Island Gets First Composite Water Tank
The town of Hempstead, New York, is seeing the addition of a new structure to its skyline: A concrete pedestal water tank, more commonly known as a composite tank, the first of its kind on Long Island, according to the local water authority.
The pedestal of the area’s new water tower stands 165 feet tall, with the structure providing water to more than 8,000 households. The West Hempstead Water District provides drinking water to West Hempstead, Cathedral Gardens, Garden City South and parts of Franklin Square.
Hempstead Water Tank
The structure’s 1-million-gallon steel bowl was hoisted into place Jan. 8, a process that took roughly eight hours, according to the Li Herald. Plans for the area’s new water tank began in 2013, after the WHWD had evaluated options regarding the existing tank. The water authority deemed that replacement was the most cost-effective solution. (The old structure had reached the end of its lifespan.)
Construction on the new tank began in 2017, and work on the concrete pedestal has been ongoing since last summer. Once the steel bowl is set into place, the next three months will see the completion of finishing touches.
“One of the major benefits of this design is the tank can go 20 to 25 years without any major maintenance or refurbishing,” said WHWD Superintendent Robert P. York. "This is an incredible cost savings to our tax payers and this new tank will stand the test of time.”
Hempstead originally approved an $8.4 million bond in 2017 to go toward district upgrades, which included replacing the old tower, built between 1938 and 1939, that stood 225 feet tall and held 750,000 gallons. The WHWD chose the composite-style tank style for the new structure due to lower maintenance costs and easier upkeep.
“This is quite an accomplishment for the District,” said Chairman of the Board C. John Sparacio, back in early January. “Our consumers are seeing their bond dollars at work as the tower is now in place. The West Hempstead Water District will have a new landmark tank which will hold 250,000 gallons of water more than the current tank, which was constructed almost 80 years ago to the day!”
