The Most Important Decision - Why Tanks Matter

By Tom Walski, Ph.D.

Pretty much all well-run water utilities periodically develop a master plan. The plan looks out 20, 30, 40 years and tries to layout development in source, treatment, and distribution systems. Based on the best available demand forecast, pipes, tanks, and pumps are laid out to evolve the system efficiently.

Some people think that planning the size of future pipes is the most important decision in the master plan. But pipe size decisions can be modified. I maintain that the most important decision is the overflow elevation of the tank in a new pressure zone. Once the overflow elevation of the tank is set, the pressure zones and the area covered by the pressure zone are also set. From there, the location of the storage tank can be identified, and the path from the treatment/pumping facility can be determined.