September 19, 2012

SYRACUSE, NY - O’Brien & Gere continues to assist Onondaga County Metropolitan Water Board (MWB), the administrative agency of the Onondaga County Water District (OCWD), with the Terminal Reservoir Project in Clay, New York. Bids were received from contractors in December 2011 for this major construction project, which is a part of the MWB’s storage realignment initiative to improve distribution system water quality for the Central New York region.

The project involves the construction of two 15-million-gallon covered concrete storage tanks to replace the existing 30-million-gallon open water reservoir in Clay. The project will keep Onondaga County in compliance with a 2006 federal order to enclose its water storage facilities to protect drinking water supplies from possible contamination, specifically pathogenic microorganisms. New laws by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require drinking water reservoirs to be treated, covered, or placed in storage tanks.

The contractor bids confirm that the MWB will be able to implement the project’s functional water storage requirements in a financially responsible manner, while incorporating community goals and using green and sustainable practices. The water storage facilities, designed by O’Brien & Gere, incorporate practical energy and sustainability measures, as well as principles of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. Some of those measures include the use of sustainable construction materials and methods, energy conservation, runoff reduction, and consideration of alternative energy options.

In addition to better overall water quality, the project is designed to improve public health and employee safety; reduce operating and energy costs; improve security and water system reliability; and support community and economic development.

The two tanks will be built at ground-level behind the Onondaga County MWB terminal reservoir. Construction of the concrete tanks started in the spring of 2012 and is expected to be complete in the summer of 2014.

Press Contact: Kristin Halpin, O’Brien & Gere.