While Genesee County leaders place conserving water at the top of the priority list, they also are looking at water storage as another step to making sure the supply is able to meet the demand during those extremely hot summer days.
County Engineer Tim Hens reported to legislators Tuesday that water storage does help with peak day requirements and pointed to several corresponding actions currently taking place.
“The addition of the new 750,000-gallon tank in Elba will be beneficial for the entire system as it comes online this summer,” Hens said. “Additionally, large industries in Genesee County are looking to add onsite tanks at their facilities that will allow them to adjust their heavy pumping during peak periods.”
Hens said that he has been talking to CPL (Clark Patterson Lee) engineers about advancing some tanks/storage from Phase 3 of the County Water Project to Phase 2 (which is happening now) as quicker ways to deal with peak day demands.
The Monroe County Water Authority also is moving ahead on a project to build a ground storage tank in Pavilion along Walker Road at the old Village of Le Roy water treatment plant that will provide 700,000 gallons per day, he said.
“There is an opportunity for the county to participate and upsize this tank to 1.5 million gallons,” Hens said. “The county share to do this would be about $400,000 which I feel is a great deal and is something the water fund could easily handle.”
Hens said that MCWA also plans to adjust the hydraulic grade zones south of Le Roy and in the Village of Le Roy to be on the same … zone that feeds much of the “center” of the county.
“This would allow the new Pavilion tank to coordinate directly with the Temperance Hill (situated west of Stafford, close to Fargo Road Pioneer Cemetery) tanks,” he said.
Hens said that the county is willing to pursue this arrangement, adding that he expects this tank to be completed by the end of next summer.
Last week, county, City and Town of Batavia, Village of Oakfield, Village of Elba and county Health Department officials issued a bulletin asking residents to do their part to conserve water this summer.
Reasoning behind the request is that, despite county efforts to increase the supply, “rapid increases in residential district growth and increased agribusiness and industrial use” have resulted in demand outpacing supply improvements during the summer months.
Officials said that if voluntary conservation measures are unsuccessful, mandatory water conservation may have to be enforced.
Hens said that the county is taking steps to save water by reducing or eliminating flushing on peak days, better communication on water storage tank levels and coordinating with contractors filling new water mains.
