TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR NEWS STORY

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List of news stories about the Town of Friday Harbor

Water tank scaffolding catches fire

posted 06/19/02
A resident of the condos above Marguerite Street spotted a fire on the scaffolding on the back side of the water tank Wednesday night. Firefighters Joe Schilling and Chris Reister climbed up Engine 7's ladder and put out the fire which apparently was started by welding equipment. The 500,000 gallon tank is undergoing renovations.

Lid lowered onto water tank

Photo courtesy of the Town Water Dept.
View looking down from the top of the tank.

Town Utilities Superintendent Mike Wilks inspects the lid.

posted 06/20/02
The custom made lid for the Town of Friday Harbor's half million gallon water tank was lowered into place last week. Paul Herbert operated the crane which lifted the lid to the top of the 80-year-old tank.

Paul Herbert uses a crane to move the lid into place.

Top ring of town tank too thin

posted 05/17/02
Ultrasonic testing of the steel on the town's half million gallon water tank revealed the steel was less than 0.1 inch in thickness. To solve the problem, the ring will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $35,000. The option of removing the ring without replacing it was not recommended since the height affects water pressure.

Town Councilmember Wally Gillette asked if the floor of the tank had been tested. "If there are fatal flaws in the tank, we want to find out now. The more testing we can do the better." At the council's insistence, the floor was tested before the engineer flew back to the mainland Thursday afternoon.

Town Administrator King Fitch reported at the council's evening meeting that the testing indicated the floor was fine. The council approved the change order. Replacing the ring will add a week to ten days to the project which had been slated to finish up by the Fourth of July.

Repairs slated for big green water tank

The half-million gallon water tank on the corner of Spring and Marguerite streets will be shut down for 80 days as repairs are made to the 80-year-old structure. Coatings Unlimited had the lowest of the three bids received. The cost will be $249,540.

Town staff checked into the costs of building a new one instead of repairing the old one. Town Administrator King Fitch said the one million dollar tank at the end of Harborview Street cost $389,000 to build in 1992. Because of the required infrastructure in tanks, the biggest bang for the buck is at two million gallons he told the council. "It is not a bad investment to put $250,000 into the old tank. From a functional view, how could we construct another tank where the pipes are now located," he said.

The tank is one of the few riveted tanks in existence according to Fitch. WIthout the repairs the tank wouldn't last much longer. "The roof is being held on by gravity alone," he said. The life span of the tank with the repairs is another 20 years.

The council passed the resolution to accept the bid on March 7, 2002. Utilities Supervisor Mike Wilks updated the council on the timeline on March 21, 2002. Work is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks. Newly appointed Councilmember Wally Gillette asked what color the tank will be. The answer, the same as the million gallon tank on Harborview, a blue green.