Centerville City is moving ahead with the construction of a new culinary water storage tank and separate valve building on 3.29 acres of undeveloped property at the northeast end of Oak Drive. 

“With input from multiple city departments this location has been selected as the most suitable for the project considering both land conservation and functional spa space utilization within the city limits,” City Planner Sydney DeWees told the city council in December. “The presence of this water tank will be a vital asset for emergency services contributing to the overall public safety and supporting the area’s resilience against fire-related hazards.”

On Jan. 21 the city council approved a $2,184,795.51 bid by the low bidder on the project, Patriot Construction of Honeyville. Patriot was one of eight bidders on the project. The other bids were Gerber Construction $2,332,651, Bowen Construction $2,450,075, FX Construction $2,464,100, Stapp Construction $2,574,052.50, Dale Cox Contracting $3,493,481.50 and BHI $4,447,396. The engineer estimate of cost for the total project was $2 million.

“We were pleased with the number of bids,” City Engineer Kevin Campbell said. “We were hoping the price would come in just a little bit lower, but we did quite a bit of review of references on Patriot.”

Patriot Construction recently built a similar water tank in North Ogden and received very favorable reviews from city engineers there, he said.

What they’re calling the Oakridge Tank, a reinforced concrete tank, will replace an aging facility that has limited capacity and is not located at an ideal elevation, city officials said. 

“The Oakridge Tank will have increased storage capacity, better pressure systems for fire protection, and be in a preferable location. The tank will be covered with soil and the ground over the tank will be revegetated. The roof of the valve building will be visible and there will be a security fence around the top of the tank,” a staff report said.

Last June the city changed zoning on the site from residential to public facility use.

“There are adequate facilities provided and it’s going to provide water service to the overall community,” Community Development Director Mike Eggett said at that time.

Since much of the funding for this tank will come from the Environmental Protection Agency, Patriot Construction will now submit a quality assurance plan to the EPA which could take 60 to 90 days to review, Campbell said. City officials are hoping construction can begin by May 1 on the tank and the adjacent valve building.

The water storage tank and electrical building will be located on 3.29 acres at 1470 North Oak Drive in an existing public facility district located on the hillside. A detention basin at the bottom of the hill will manage run off. An adjacent city-owned parcel will act as a buffer between the site and nearby residential development.

“I think it’s a great project for the city,” Public Works Director Mike Carlson said about the project. “It’s going to enhance our water system, so I think it’s a good deal. We get an extra half million gallons of storage for firefighting and things like that, and I think all in all it’s going to be a great project.”