Farmington to build bigger reservoir

FARMINGTON -- City leaders are shifting their focus in an effort to upgrade the city's water system.

With growth on the west side fueling the need for more water capacity, officials had originally budgeted funds to drill a test well in the 2009-10 fiscal year, but those plans have been changed.

The city council recently voted unanimously to move ahead with a plan to replace Spencer Reservoir and to temporarily set aside plans for a test well. Spencer Reservoir will be demolished and a new reinforced concrete tank reservoir will be built in its place, with three times the capacity of the current reservoir, said Paul Hirst, city engineer.

Council members voted to hire CRS Engineers for $180,000 to move ahead with plans to replace the 50-year-old reservoir, located east of the city cemetery, with a new reservoir and booster station. Most of the new reservoir will be underground.

The estimated cost of the reservoir replacement project is $1.25 million, Hirst said.

City Manager Max Forbush said the current budget does not include funding for the construction.

However, much of the project will be funded by an increase in water revenues, Forbush said, an increase which was included in the current fiscal year plans, but which still has not been implemented as city officials work out issues with Lagoon.

Mayor Scott Harbertson said city officials met to discuss water projects and decided at that time to shift their focus to a new reservoir.

The new reservoir is one component of a city plan to eventually add 3.8 million gallons of reservoir storage to the city's water system.

Hirst said Spencer Reservoir is in fragile condition and has needed to be replaced for several years.