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CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHT
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS By Bo Mills, Jr., PWLF
Bob Freudenthal Public Utility Project of the Year
Germantown’s Elevated Water

Tank: 54 Years in the Making

Germantown’s Elevated Water
Tank project has won the 2024
inaugural Bob Freudenthal
Public Utility Project of the Year
Award.
The award, named for the
late APWA Past President
Bob Freudenthal, who passed
away in 2023, celebrates public
sector projects of exceptional
importance and innovation in
utility services. It recognizes
achievements that showcase
creativity, efficiency and a
meaningful impact on the
community.
While the award is new, one
might say its recipient, the
Germantown Elevated Water Tank Project, dropped significantly. for design and construction inspection
was more than five decades in the making. Although the Johnson Road Water services.
Since 1970, Germantown’s Water System Treatment Plant’s high service pumps Caldwell Tanks from Lexington, KY, was
master plan included the need for a were operating at full capacity, they were selected to construct the foundation and
500,000-gallon elevated water tank in the unable to pump water five miles to refill the 500,000-gallon steel pedisphere-style
eastern portion of the city to ensure system the Southern Avenue tank. As a result, tank. Ferrell Paving (Metro Materials) was
redundancy and resiliency. Elevated water distribution levels dropped into the responsible for bringing the necessary
water tanks are crucial for maintaining stem of the elevated tank, causing static water main to the tank site, while A & B
consistent hydrostatic pressure throughout pressures in several areas to fall to 20 psi. Construction handled the site work to
the entire system. Massive Failure Was a Possibility complete the project.
To guarantee this stability, two This situation was dangerously close A Second Water Tank Had been Proposed
elevated water tanks of comparable size to causing a massive failure due to since 1970
are necessary. This redundancy allows water hammers, which could have led The significance of this project,
one tank to be taken out of service for to catastrophic damage to the water making it an ideal submission for the
maintenance without compromising the distribution system and potential Bob Freudenthal Public Utility Project of
system’s pressure. contamination of the water supply. The the Year, lies in the time and persistence
Germantown’s Situation: Power Outages, second elevated tank is essential for required to achieve it. The master plan
Equipment Failures providing the system resiliency needed to for Germantown’s water system has called
In Germantown’s case, pumps alone prevent such emergencies in the future. for a second elevated tank in the eastern
cannot supply the consistent pressures The FY20 Germantown Capital Budget portion of the city since 1970.
required; a backup supply of elevated water for Utilities included funding to install the Efforts to locate this tank began in the
is essential. The importance of this second much-needed second elevated water tank. late 1970s, and in 1985, my first year of
elevated water tank was underscored by an To manage the complexity of the project employment with the City, our water
event in September 2014. and align with available funding sources, engineering consultant team floated
A combination of power outages and the work was divided into four parts and a big red balloon at the proposed site
equipment failures caused the Southern spread over four budget cycles. to demonstrate the location, height,
Avenue Water Treatment Plant to shut This approach allowed each phase of the and visual impact of the tank to the
down completely. As the city’s homes project to be handled by professionals with community and elected officials.
and businesses drew from the existing expertise in their respective areas. The City However, the project met immediate
500,000-gallon tank, water levels contracted A2H, Inc., of Lakeland, TN, Continued on page 23

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