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Marlene Feist

Touring the Tanks!

Marlene Feist, Director of Strategic Development, Public Works & Utilities, No Phone Number Available


Friday, July 14, 2017 at 10:28 a.m.

Touring the Tanks!

Whoosh! With the press of a button, crews complete a “flush test” at the construction site at Lincoln Street and Summit Boulevard.

They are nearing the end of work on an approximately 1 million gallon underground storage tank that will help prevent overflows from combined wastewater and stormwater sewers from entering the Spokane River. The flush chamber that crews were testing is used to clean the tank of debris following each use.

In some parts of the City, wastewater and stormwater sewers are linked together and during periods of heavy rain or rapid snowmelt, these pipes can become overwhelmed and overflow to the river. Tanks like this store the excess water until the storm surge subsides and the water can be sent to the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility for treatment.

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) projects like this one are under way all over the City this summer.  A hot, sunny afternoon tour took us to four of those sites this week.

Beside the project on Lincoln north of the river, we visited three more sites where excavation is in full swing to accommodate eventual underground infrastructure.

The three other project sites included:

  • Spokane Falls Boulevard between Monroe and Lincoln. This will be the home of a 2 million-gallon tank with an incredible public plaza on top with incredible views of the Spokane River’s lower falls.  We walked down into the lower excavation levels and were amazed by a new view of the meandering river framed by the main arch of the Monroe Street Bridge.
  • First & Adams in west downtown. This site eventually will contain a 2.2 million-gallon tank and will ultimately be the biggest one we build. Extensive pipe work has dominated the construction work on this one so far, and we peered down a 30-foot hole at a pipe that crews are working on. Excavation has begun for the tank itself, though, and we’ll see major progress in the coming weeks. A green space and plaza will top the tank.
  • TJ Meenach just south of Northwest Boulevard. This is one of the newest sites to be under construction. Trucks were on the move when we were there hauling away dirt and chunks of old concrete for the tank, which will hold 1.4 million gallons. A pipe connection across TJ Meenach will begin in late July, causing traffic to use Pettet Drive as a detour for about seven weeks. When the work is done, neighbors will be able to enjoy a natural area with pedestrian trails.

These projects—as well as projects near Liberty Park, on Upriver Drive, and soon on Riverside near Napa—are part of the City’s Cleaner River Faster initiative. The City is investing more than $300 million in projects to improve water quality in the Spokane River.  It’s All About the River!

  • Spokane Falls CSO Tank

    Spokane Falls CSO Tank Site

  • First and Adams CSO Tank

    Excavation for the tank at First & Adams

  • TJ Meenach CSO Excavation

    Excavation for the tank at TJ Meenach

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