PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
Merrill WI
PERMIT NO 24
3433 Oakwood Hills Pkwy
Eau Claire, WI 54701-7698
Address Service Requested
A LOOK BACK: TOWER KEEPS WATER ON TAP FOR THE ISLAND CITY
Cumberland, Wisconsin, population
2,170, is known as the Island City due
to its location on land surrounded
by Beaver Dam Lake. There’s water,
water everywhere – including plenty
of municipal water in a 600,000-gallon
composite tower designed by Ayres in
2009 to meet the needs of industries,
residents, and fire protection. The
tower doubled the City’s water storage
capacity when completed in 2011.
Ayres worked with Cumberland
Municipal Utilities to write a Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
(WDNR) Safe Drinking Water Loan
(SDWL) application to fund the $2.4
million project. To take advantage of
2009 SDWL stimulus grant funding,
final project plans and specifications
needed to be submitted to the WDNR
by April 30, 2009. Ayres completed the
plans in less than three weeks to meet
that deadline. The project received a
$1.2 million grant and $1.2 million low-
interest loan.
Services included designing the
new tower, extending 1,700 linear feet
of water main, upgrading City wells,
installing a backup generator, and
removing the old tower. Ayres also
provided survey; site design for the
access road, parking, tower overflow,
and stormwater control; and grant and
construction services.
The tower is a composite style
with a concrete base and steel storage
reservoir. It provides long-term cost
savings as the concrete base has
virtually no maintenance costs.
Ayres has provided engineering
services to the City of Cumberland and
Cumberland Municipal Utilities since
1998. Currently, Cumberland Municipal
Utilities is investigating a possible
business park location, and Ayres has
completed wetland delineation and an
initial concept plan for the site.