PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Construction of McNary Lock and Dam’s new potable water distribution system was completed and put into service on Friday, Nov. 20, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials.
The nearly year-long construction effort replaced McNary’s original potable water distribution system, located on the southern shoreline of the Columba River, just east of the City of Umatilla, Ore., which had been in use for more than 50 years. As the old system neared the end of its design-life, pipes and valves deteriorated, pressure capability decreased, and it no longer met the dam’s fire-protection water supply, irrigation water system and other operational requirements. The old water tank is currently being demolished for removal.
Work to build the new water system began in January and included extensive planning to meet current construction-design standards. About half of the 22-foot-tall new concrete water tank was buried below ground and an earthen berm placed on three sides, up against the tank, to present a lower water tank profile and more aesthetically pleasing and natural view to nearby homeowners.
