52nd and Willamette reservoir upgrade
52nd and Willamette reservoir before construction

In 2006, EWEB had nine reservoirs inspected to assess their condition, identify any needed repairs and prioritize upgrades. Based on this information, the highest priority facility underwent repairs in 2007. The utility is now making needed improvements to the reservoir at 52nd and Willamette, which ranked second in priority.

The 1.25 million gallon tank was built in 1966 and serves approximately 2,000 area customers. These customers should not notice any change in their water service during the upgrade project. The reservoir will not be in operation, but water will be pumped to households from another storage facility nearby.


Improvements

Work planned for the reservoir includes:

  • Structural repairs
  • Seismic upgrades
  • Installation of a new coating on the roof
  • Significant site work to stabilize the existing slope behind the tank
  • New six-foot chain link fence around the facility to meet security policies for drinking water infrastructure
  • Installation of stormwater drains
  • Installation of a paved driveway for improved EWEB vehicle access
Schedule
Date Task
Oct.-Nov. 2009 Seismic Work (inside the tank)
Dec. 2009-March 2010 Site work
Fall 2010 Revegetation


Typical hours for construction activity are weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Revegtation

EWEB will use native plants to create a natural looking transition to the existing forested backdrop. Plantings will create a visual screen of the tank while leaving the site relatively open. A couple of recent examples can be seen at the City View Reservoir located at 29th and City View and at the Dillard Substation located on Larch Street off of West Amazon Parkway.

Photo timeline
52nd and Willamette reservoir site prep In preparation for the project, trees were removed (mostly pines and laurels) around the tank. (August 2009) 52nd and Willamette reservoir slope stabilization Wire mesh was installed for slope protection.
(August 2009)
Exisitng paint is removed from 52nd and Willamette reservoir Crews removed existing paint from the reservoir. (January 2010) Reservoir undergoes seismic reinforcement Prestressing wires were installed to add seismic reinforcement. (January 2010)