Planview Water District Informs Residents on Maintenance to the Community’s Elevated Water Tower and its Importance

The Plainview Water District’s elevated water tower is a prominent landmark in Plainview-Old Bethpage, and plays a vital role in the delivery of water to both residential and commercial entities within the community on a daily basis. Recently, crews’ pressure-washed the 143-foot, 1.25-million-gallon water tower as part of PWD’s recurring maintenance program. Beyond the aesthetic upkeep, this important maintenance exercise serves to maintain the integrity of the tower and preserve the life of the paint and protective coatings by mitigating any accumulation of natural biological growth.

“The Plainview Water District’s elevated water tower is not only a visual staple within the Planview-Old Bethpage community, but is a vital component of our water infrastructure,” said PWD Commissioner Marc Laykind. “The tower provides both water storage and system pressure so, it must be maintained appropriately. The District has strict timelines when it comes to proper inspections and upkeep to ensure it is always ready to serve.”

Water towers are a tried-and-true method for ensuring that pressure throughout a water distribution system is consistent. Using gravity, the weight of more than one million gallons of water stored more than 100 feet in the air helps to pressurize a significant portion of the District’s nine-square-mile service territory. This system ensures homes continue to receive pressurized water even in the event of an emergency, such as a fire or water main break. During the summer months, when water usage is at its peak, it is important for residents to practice better water conservation habits to ensure tank levels remain adequate so there is ample water storage and pressure in the event of a fire emergency.

“In the event of an emergency, we want to ensure that we are prepared in every way possible,” said PWD Commissioner Andrew Bader. “Continuing best practices in relation to water consumption contributes significantly to the overall health of our infrastructure, especially the water tower. These systems are generally much more efficient to operate in comparison to other systems such as ground storage tanks or booster pumping stations.”

Plainview’s water tower is given a thorough inspection by the District’s engineers twice per year. During this inspection, a detailed report of the tanks condition is produced. The reports are then reviewed by the District’s superintendent who is a licensed professional engineer. Any minor issues found during these regular inspections are corrected and recommendations are made for larger capital improvement items, if needed.

Each 2.31 feet of height provides 1.0 pound per square inch (PSI) of pressure. These elevated tanks are typically installed at the highest elevation in the system for this specific reason. The tank’s capacity is designed to provide enough volume to satisfy peak demand conditions during the summer while also having the ability to meet any demand caused by an emergency such as a fire.

“The District has always remained dedicated to our infrastructure as well as the necessary upkeep and any upgrades that may be needed,” said PWD Commissioner Michael Chad. “This facility in particular receives routine inspections and any continued needed maintenance throughout the year. With all of our facilities, we remain diligent in our maintenance to make sure that we are providing our residents with the best service and quality possible.”

The Plainview Water District has 6 well sites that collectively house 12 deep groundwater wells with a total approved capacity of 24.5 million gallons per day. The District’s service area is approximately 9 square miles and makes up Plainview, Old-Bethpage and portions of Syosset and Woodbury. Typically, the District pumps approximately 1.7 billion gallons per year from the groundwater aquifer. While the allowable capacity exceeds a typical max day seasonal pumpage of 10 million gallons per day, the District must be prepared to meet fire demands, extreme weather and ability to supply water in case of equipment failures.

For further information, or if you have any questions, please call the District at 516-931-6469, email info@plainviewwater.org or visit www.plainviewwater.org. To receive regular updates from the Plainview Water District, please sign up for email updates on the District’s homepage. Don’t forget to stay connected to the Plainview Water District on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PlainviewWaterDistrict.