All water towers require some mechanicals – pressure monitoring equipment , for example . Usually , those systems are housed in a vault under the tower where the water mains enter the tower foundation . Staff members must crawl down into the vault ( a confined space ) to check or maintain equipment .
Medford ’ s new tower offers easier access , a change maintenance staff welcomes , Harris said . Greg Carr , Ayres ’ engineering services designer for the project , designed an 8-by 10-foot structure inside the base of the tower to house equipment .
“ It ’ s like an ice shanty ,” he said . “ The roof keeps condensation off . It ’ s heated . There ’ s enough room for the monitoring systems , and the fill pipe and draw pipe run through it .”
The “ ice shanty ” is at ground level , so tower mechanicals are easier to maintain , Carr said .
“ You open a door and walk in and go to work instead of crawling underground ,” Harris said . “ It ’ s a good idea .”
Project benefits
The 200,000-gallon tower went on line in spring 2022 , and the City has seen new development in the northern area .
“ We annexed some more land . Two strip malls were built , and they ’ re already filled . Another business added more spaces , and we ’ ve seen some residential buildings ,” Harris said .
In addition to the new tower , the project included the extension of the City ’ s East Side Interceptor from STH 64 to Allman Street . This portion of the project allows gravity flow of wastewater from the northeast section of the City and eliminates a lift station – a goal of the City for 35 years and another savings for the City , Harris said .
“ Everything just worked out perfectly ,” Harris said . “ I don ’ t think it could have gone any better . The bid process was at the right time . The funding worked . The contractor was good , and easy to work with . It was really a nice project .”
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