After sitting empty and idle for 16 months, Oxford Township’s new 1 million gallon water tower across from the high school will soon be operational thanks to the recently completed 1,200-square-foot booster station at the end of E. Market St.
‘We have a training class for the booster station scheduled for April 8,? said Glenn Appel, assistant chief engineer with the Oakland County Drain Commissioner’s Office. ‘After that time, we’ll have everything in operation.?
The county operates and maintains the township’s water system, which serves 2,386 customers and includes two treatment plants and a 500,000-gallon water tower in the Red Barn subdivision.
Bearing the Oxford Wildcat logo, the light blue elevated storage tower, which cost the township $1.83 million to construct, is now full of treated water, according to Appel.
But before it can be put into operation, water samples must be drawn from the tower to test for bacteria and make sure the chlorine level is acceptable.
The water tower has sat empty since its completion in November 2006 because, at the time, there was not enough pressure in the existing system to fill it due to its high elevation.
A booster station solves this problem by artificially increasing the water pressure enough to fill the 168-foot tall tower.
Having a million additional gallons of stored water on hand is expected to give the township system enough capacity during the high demand of the summer months to avoid requiring outdoor water use restrictions.
‘That’s our hope,? Appel said. ‘I think that’s going to make a big difference.?
Since 2002, the township’s imposed restrictions on when its system’s users could sprinkle their lawns, water their gardens, wash their cars and fill their swimming pools.
These restrictions have been a precautionary measure to ensure the water system has enough capacity and pressure to deal with emergency situations such as a water main break or structure fire.
Appel said the plan is to keep the new 1 million gallon tower full for periods of high water demand such as the peak hours of 5-9 a.m.
‘The concept is you fill them up through the night and then during peak periods, you siphon the water off that,? he explained.
Every night, when user demand drops, the pumps would run to regain the stored water lost during the day, according to Appel.
As part of the township’s $540,000 booster station project, which was built by the Oxford-based Trojan Development, Inc., a pressure reducing valve (PRV) was installed at Willow Lake Drive and State Street.
In the Willow Lake subdivision, some homes have previously experienced water pressures around 30 psi during the summer months.
This was due to the residential development’s high elevations, the high demand on the township water system and the previous lack of a booster station and operational water tower.
Ideally, water pressures should be between 60 and 80 psi, according to the county.
Together, the booster station and water tower could give the subdivision water pressures well over 100 psi, which would cause serious damage to residents? plumbing.
The PRV prevents that by keeping the water pressure within reasonable limits.