Water Storage Tank and Transmission Line

Challenge – Water System Capacity

More than 3200 people, industries, and neighboring farms rely on Mobridge, South Dakota, for water. The community operates 2 water storage facilities, one of which was at too low of an elevation to serve the community without a complex operating procedure. The two facilities were undersized and provided less than one day’s worth of water storage which was stressing the system during peak demand times. The Community needed a way to address both the operational inefficiencies and the lack of storage.

Solution – Expert Engineering Services

Moore Engineering helped the community come up with a plan that would address the issues in a single project. By creating both a water model and using LIDAR information, Moore Engineering’s Water/Wastewater Group was able to very efficiently come up with a plan that would correct the storage, pressure, and fire flow deficiencies. The ultimate solution was to replace the City’s 70-year-old steel water tower with a new concrete ground storage tank in a new location.  The tank will be set on the north side of the community near large-diameter water mains. The new tank will be concrete which is low maintenance and won’t require expensive re-coating projects.  The tank will be set on a hill to match the elevations of the City’s other water tank so that pumping/cycling operations are simplified. This project addressed the operational issues, increased storage capacity to meet demands, and will reduce future O&M expenses for the community.

Outcome – Community Backed Water Improvements

Moore Engineering helped the community by completing all planning, environmental clearance, and engineering design work. Moore also assisted by participating in meetings with landowners, and stakeholders and gave presentations at open public meetings. The project is scheduled to be completed and online in the fall of 2024.