Keeping the water clean is mission critical

Vandenberg Air Force Base - Main Reservoir Facility Modernization

Modernizing Vandenberg Air Force Base’s (VAFB) 74-year-old 8-MG Main Reservoir Facility looked like a daunting assignment. Both reservoirs were experiencing water quality issues, inconsistent fluoride injections, dead zones, and low chlorine. The 30^th Civil Squadron challenged us to come up with a solution—challenge accepted!

We discovered that the redwood roofing and concrete lining of the reservoirs were showing their age, and the reservoirs were too dilapidated to be out of service for maintenance, repairs, or inspection. The answer? Two seismically updated, pre-stressed AWWA D110 concrete tanks, each with a 4-MG capacity and a transfer pump system. That’d do the trick.

A TideFlex mixing system in each tank’s delivery line eliminates the other issues, and a centralized open air valving configuration means multiple bypass and/or isolation options, which leads to easier maintenance.

This project upgraded storage strength and seismic integrity, improved water quality, and provided offline maintenance through tank isolation. VAFB’s reliable, sustainable main water supply will have impacts beyond the base community itself. Safeguarding reliable drinkable water is a great start.