City marks official opening of new Elevated Water Storage Tank

Brantford, ON: Earlier today, a small group of City of Brantford dignitaries and staff were proud to mark the official completion and beginning of operations of the newly constructed Shellard Lane Elevated Water Storage Tank located at 346 Shellard Lane.

Taking several years to complete from the planning stage to now being fully operational, the new Shellard Tank was built to provide additional storage to meet current water storage requirements, address low water pressure issues in high ground areas of Strawberry Hill and Colborne St West, and to support the future development in the City’s Pressure District #1 which includes the areas of West Brant, Downtown and Eagle Place.

Onsite construction of this vital new infrastructure asset began in July, 2018. Construction of the tank and painting of the City logo on its surface was completed on the ground and lifted in place on top of the supporting pedestal in May 2020. Installation of interior walls, process equipment, piping, roof construction and painting of the tank interior were completed in August 2020. Testing of the tank components, staff training and water quality tests including bacteriological tests were completed in early November 2020. Additional testing conducted during an operational trial period over the past several weeks demonstrated water pressure in the distribution system was maintained as per the tank’s design and the City’s intended standard.

The stage four archeological work and design of the Shellard Tank were completed by consulting company GHD, while the build itself was completed by Landmark Structures Inc.

The steel tank is 27 meters in diameter, holds 6,000 cubic meters of water and is equipped with a backup generator to provide uninterrupted service during a power outage. Operation of the tank will be monitored and controlled remotely by Water Operations staff from the City’s Water Treatment Plant at 324 Grand River Ave.

The completion of the Shellard Lane Water Storage Tank is part of a $20 million investment dedicated to increasing service capacity and replacement of aging water and wastewater infrastructure. The investment also includes plans for implementation of a new King George Road Elevated Water Tank, Bulk Water Fill Station Upgrades on Earl Avenue, and the rehabilitation of the Fifth Avenue Wastewater Pumping Station.

QUOTES
“I am very proud and excited to see this massive project come to a successful completion and I want to express both my congratulations and sincere thanks to the City’s Water Operations staff and team of Consultants for their skill, expertise and the exceptional hard work it took to make this impressive and vital structure a reality. This new landmark is a very strong symbol of the growth of not only West Brant but of our city overall.”
- City of Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis

“This new water storage tank is an essential asset in Ward 1 that will improve the quality of life for residents and businesses in this area for years to come. I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment and want to sincerely thank members of this term of Council and previous Councils for their support to invest in this much needed infrastructure, and of course the project team that worked so hard to make it such a success.”
- Ward 1 City Councillor Rick Weaver

“With the capacity to serve West Brant’s growing community for decades to come, today’s official opening of the new Shellard Lane Water Storage Tank is a tremendous and inspiring achievement. On behalf of a community who will enjoy its benefits, I am truly grateful to all who played a part in the hundreds and hundreds of hours of planning, designing, engineering, project management and construction it took to complete a job of this scope and scale. Your efforts are truly appreciated.”
- Ward 1 City Councillor Jan Vanderstelt

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Media Contact:
Maria Visocchi Director, Communications and Community Engagement
City of Brantford | Office: 519.759.4150 Ext. 5754 | mvisocchi@brantford.ca