Local

Poughkeepsie’s New Water Storage Tanks Go Online

Oct 23, 2019

City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison and Councilwoman Yvonne Flowers took part in a ceremony heralding the replacement of the City’s underground reservoir with two new 2.5-million water storage tanks. The tanks are located at College Hill Park, which is in Flowers’ ward.

POUGHKEEPSIE – City of Poughkeepsie officials put two, 2.5-million-gallon water storage tanks online to replace the 5-million-gallon underground reservoir at College Hill Park.

City officials say the tanks will provide a better distribution system, with other benefits.
“Experts always say that, for better protection, you should have redundancy in the system, and this upgrade provides that,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rolison, explaining that the two tanks will allow future maintenance of one while the other remains in service.

This $7.5 million upgrade includes building the new tanks and connecting them to the water system and disconnecting the underground reservoir, in addition to digging and removing soil.

The City has been awarded $3 million from the state Environmental Facilities Corp. for the project, in addition to a $8.6 million interest-free loan. The City will use the rest of the money to replace water mains at key areas in the City to improve water flow.

One of two new 2.5-million water storage tanks replacing the underground reservoir for the City’s water system.

The project continues a series of improvements to the City’s water system. Earlier this year, the City and Town of Poughkeepsie moved forward with an approximate $4.5 million project to improve the Poughkeepsies’ Water Treatment Facility, which they jointly operate. That upgrade will replace the UV disinfection equipment that helps to purify the water originating from the Hudson River. Over the past two decades, the City and Town have spent approximately $40 million to improve the plant, which is located within the Marist College campus on property co-owned by the City and the Town.

At College Hill Park, the underground mains will be replaced with new iron pipe.

Mayor Rolison said, “Coupled with the improvements to the water plant, this improvement to our water storage area will better protect our water as it flows from the Hudson River to our facilities that ensure safe drinking water to the public.”

City officials also are considering repurposing the historic underground cistern, which was constructed in the 1920s, into public space.