The tower was designed to accommodate future Township offices and host telecommunication providers as a potential revenue source.
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A break in a 42-inch water main serving a community can be devastating – particularly when it occurs during a peak hour on a peak demand day. Thanks to a water storage tank constructed in their distribution system in 2011, Van Buren Township, MI, was able to avoid a Public Works Director’s nightmare of service disruption and boil water notices when breaks occurred on July 2, 10 and 12 of this year. Even though water supply and pressure dropped significantly on those days, the Township was able to meet local demand and regulate pressure through stored water in its newly constructed tower.
When pressure dropped to 40 psi on July 2, the control system switched into fire flow/water main break mode fully opening all control valves. Water supply was provided until pressure dropped to 35 psi and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department isolated the break and turned off the main. Once the main was fixed and pressures exceeded 48 psi, normal operations resumed in the tower. After a few hours of refilling, the water tower was able to provide peak shaving for the remainder of the day including evening peak demand.
"The new system performed well under the stress of these emergency situations," says Tom MacDonald, Director of Public Works. "It will improve the reliability and efficiency of the Township for many years. We also expect to benefit from lower water purchase cost because we are now able to shave or lower our peak demands."
Wade Trim provided design and construction engineering services for these water system improvements that included the 2-MG water tower as well as five miles of transmission main to address capacity and flow issues identified in the Township’s Water Master Plan.
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