Silver Springs utility to build large water tank

The Silver Springs Mutual Water Co. has applied for permission to make improvements to its water system, including a new million-gallon storage tank.

The estimated cost of the project is $1.75 million, which would raise customer rates by an estimated $7.22 to $42.42 a month.

The additional tank would be the third in the system. Utility officials said in their application that it will provide enough storage to pump only during off-peak hours and save the community a considerable amount of money.

“Additionally, because of the rural nature of Silver Springs, the vulnerability of the treatment plant and the age of the existing wells, a high amount of emergency storage is recommended,” the engineer’s report states.

The project also includes upgrades to the system’s existing wells, chemical sanitization facilities and electrical systems.

“Much of what is learned from this process will be documented so it can be utilized in the future design of a replacement well,” the report states.

Silver Springs has four wells, but one is shut down because of low yield and high arsenic levels.

The application was filed after the utility received a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stating that the project “will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment.”

State Environmental Protection officials have also signed off on the project.