Ben Lomond water tanks to be replaced

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District has opened the bid process for replacing a pair of 20,000-gallon redwood tanks in Ben Lomond used for drinking water.
The tank replacement is a capital improvement project among many others completed or in process that, combined, total $16.85 million in infrastructure upgrades to the District’s 76-year-old water system.
The bid process will be open to July 28. The water district’s board of directors said in a statement it anticipates selecting a contractor at its Aug. 18 meeting.
Work is scheduled to begin late summer/early fall and is expected to be completed by March 2018.
The tanks, known as the “Swim Tanks,” are located off Scenic Way in Ben Lomond and are part of the original water distribution system acquired by the district from Citizens Utility Company in 1965.
The current tanks are undersized for the service area and require ongoing maintenance to control leaks, according to the district.
The tanks are to be replaced with a new 64,000-gallon bolted steel water tank at the same location. The $678,000 project includes the tank, fencing, retaining walls and an electronic control system that will enable monitoring and controlling all aspects of the water system remotely.
The district also reported that since 2014, it has completed $11.7 million in system repairs and upgrades.
It also reported that it anticipated beginning construction of the $1.95 million replacement of the leaking “Probation Tank” off Graham Hill Road in mid-2018, after seeking bids early next year.
The district said in a statement that it hopes to complete and gain approval of environmental studies for “fish ladder” on Fall Creek in 2018, with construction of the $880,000 project in 2019.