BOULDER CREEK — A local water agency is about to embark on a multi-year effort to replace a dozen aging water tanks in the San Lorenzo Valley. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District will invest $6 million in a two-year project to replace 12 water tanks as it continues to recover from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires and seeks to shore up reliability, capacity and drought resiliency. The effort, part of the district’s Capital Improvement Projects program, includes swapping out older redwood tanks and plastic ones damaged in the fires almost four years ago with hardier new ones, including six 120,000 gallon bolted-steel tanks.
“This is a critically important project for the District and we’re excited to be moving forward,” Brian Frus, the district’s interim general manager, said in a news release. “Older tanks made from wood are vulnerable to leaks and other major problems, while some plastic tanks were jeopardized in the CZU fire. Replacing these tanks is part of our ongoing work to transform our aging infrastructure, also including water mains, throughout the District.
” The replacement project, expected to last two years, will take place at several locations across the district including the Redwood Park Tank, Echo Tanks, Highland Tank, Felton Heights Tank and South Tanks, according to the release. The state’s Department of Water Resources 2022 Urban Community Drought Relief grant program contributed $4.5 million to the transition with the district throwi.