Environment
BY JARRETT WHITENER
Fair Oaks Ranch is in the process of constructing an elevated water storage tank, which would be the rst water tower in the city. On April 3, City Council agreed to purchase land from the city of Boerne for $543,628 to house the water tower on Ammann Road. City Manager Scott Huizenga said the plans for an elevated water storage have been in the works since around 2008, and he is hopeful the project will begin within the next year. “An elevated storage tank stores a lot of water and, via gravity, it creates pressure in the system to distribute the water faster,” Huizenga said. The city currently uses hydropneumatic pumps, which are mechanical air pressure systems. Huizenga said this system is relatively ine cient for meeting pressure needs. Mayor Greg Maxton said another issue with hydropneumatic pumps is that the system relies on electricity. Fair Oaks Ranch moves forward with water tower
45
Water is pulled from the source and treated Step 1
3351
AMMANN RD.
Pumping station will ll the tower with water Step 2
N
Water is stored in the tower Step 3
Water is released from the tower, using gravity to distribute to the community Step 4
Step by step Fair Oaks Ranch is in the process of
constructing an elevated water storage tank, which would be the rst water tower in the city.
SOURCES: CITY OF FAIR OAKS RANCH, PHOENIX FABRICATORS AND ERECTORS, LLC COMMUNITY IMPACT
Why it matters
The timeline
When the city loses electricity, it prevents water from being distributed throughout the community, and with the elevated storage, that will be less of a concern. “Gravity continues to work during cold weather,” Maxton said. “We would keep water ow going to our residents during those times of emergency.” The National Fire Protection Association stan- dards call for 1,000 gallons per minute of pressure to ght a house re, Huizenga said. Huizenga said some parts of the city are around half of that required pressure, making the elevated storage a need for the city. “The primary need from our standpoint is ensuring that we have enough water pressure for re ghting,” he said. The storage tank will also meet the standards set by the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, which requires pressure to prevent sedi- ment buildup and other materials that could cause potential health issues. The storage tank is expected to hold 500,000 gallons of water, and come at a construction cost of
Breaking it down
The city entered into several Water Supply Agreements with property owners located within the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction.
2008
$8.8M project cost
$543,628 approved for land purchase
500,000
gallon capacity
Update to the Water Impact Fee was approved, providing plans to fund the water storage tank.
2014
SOURCE: CITY OF FAIR OAKS RANCH COMMUNITY IMPACT
City sta received Statements of Quali cations from in consultants to prepare construction documents to build an elevated storage tank.
around $8.8 million. Funding for the project will come from utility impact fees alongside certi cates of obligation bond debt approved by City Council. Huizenga said the project bene ts both Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch since they both pull water from the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. “The two cities could co-locate to their transfer sites between the utilities and provide that access point to our respective cities,” he said. “That is the reason that we chose this site and chose to go into this initiative together.”
2019
City Council approves land purchase agreement. Elevated water storage design is expected to be complete late 2025.
2025
2026
Construction anticipated to begin.
SOURCE: CITY OF FAIR OAKS RANCH COMMUNITY IMPACT
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