Heritage Harbour Elevated Water Storage Tank

Total Survey Responses: 264 

Elevated Water Storage Tank Site Selection Criteria (Ranked from 1-5, 1 is highest priority):

Question: When choosing a site for the tank, how would you like DPW to prioritize the site selection criteria?    

1. Impact to Personal Property Values
2. Tank Visibility and Aesthetics
3. Environmental Impacts
4. Construction Noise and Traffic
5. Cellular Tower Potential

Consideration Factors for the Elevated Water Storage Tank (Ranked from 1-3, 1 is most important):

Question: Which of the following factors are most important to you for the Heritage Harbour Elevated Water Storage Tank?

1. Reliable Water Service   
2. Fire Protection and Safety   
3. Minimizing Visual Impacts    

Site Locations Public Respondent Feedback:

Question: Of the location options currently under review, which site would you prefer for the Elevated Water Storage Tank? (DPW will incorporate the community's preference to the maximum extent possible but cannot guarantee any site chosen.) (Options ranked from 1 = most preferred to 7 = least preferred)

Option 1   Site Location A: Approximately 960 Bermuda Lane, Annapolis, MD 21401    

Option 2   Site Location D: 427 Ashers Farm Road, Annapolis, MD 21401, adjacent open lot

Option 3  Site Location E: 1890 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, MD 21401     

Option 4   Site Location H: 534 Defense Highway, Crownsville, MD 21032

Option 5   Site Location J: 1907 & 1909 Crownsville Road, Annapolis, MD 21401

Option 6   Site Location K:  534 Defense Highway, Crownsville, MD 21032

Option 7   Site Location L: Open space off North River Road, Annapolis, MD 21401

For complete survey results, click here.

(Referenced as “common responses” within the comment response sheet) 

Q1: Why aren’t booster pump systems being considered as an alternative? 
A1: Refer to the FAQ page for the question “What alternatives exist outside of building a new Elevated Water Storage Tank?” In the long term, an Elevated Water Storage Tank is the more efficient and reliable option, both operationally and economically, and offers benefits that additional pumps cannot, such as reliable fire protection with redundancy.

Q2: Why is Site C (7 Harry S Truman Parkway) no longer under consideration? It is County-owned land.  
A2: The County removed this site from consideration upon review of the location’s Schematic Design Report (2015), which notes the site being remote from the demand center, requiring a parallel transmission main for redundancy, as well as requiring significant pumping improvements.  Site I has similar limitations.  

Q3: Why isn’t there cost information for consideration, shouldn’t taxpayers be informed with cost estimates to make this decision? 
A3: The EWST program (W799600) is funded by drinking water utility rates, not taxes. The County plans to develop cost estimates for the top-rated site(s), which requires further investigation. The project cost is expected to be directly related to the height of the tank, the length of the water main connections, and land acquisition costs.

Q4: We are concerned about impacts to our property values and the neighborhood's aesthetic character. 
A4: The County’s goals are to deliver reliable water service and enable fire protection operations, which are in the best interest of the community.  Screening for aesthetics will be considered for any location chosen.  

Q5: A water tower collapsed in LaPlata, MD and we are concerned that the tower could fall or rupture and flood our properties. 
A5: While it’s true that a 100-year old water tower failed in LaPlata, MD, that was a result of the 2002 F4 tornado event. The tank design was antiquated, and the tank reportedly sat empty and had single bolts holding the steel legs to the concrete foundations. The three fatalities and 100 injuries noted by the respondent were entirely unrelated to the water tower falling and occurred in different locations as a result of one of the worst storms to historically impact the DMV area.  

Please see the FAQ page for the question “I’ve heard these things can leak or fail. What’s the plan if something goes wrong?” Properly installed and maintained tanks are not prone to failure. The County manages and maintains 31 Elevated Water Storage Tanks and there is no record of leaks at any of these facilities. The County maintains a regular maintenance schedule for all tanks in accordance with recommended guidelines, including coatings to prevent corrosion. Modern elevated water tanks are installed across the country, including in areas prone to extreme weather and earthquakes, with an excellent track record of safety.  

Q6: What is the plan for replacing the transmission main and/or backfeeding the area?
A6: DPW is investigating redundancy options for the pressure zone, including backfeeding the area and potentially replacing the transmission main on Truman Parkway. The water distribution project will be coordinated with the final tank location to ensure a complete infrastructure solution. 

Q7: Why are you showing sites as viable when the land doesn’t appear to be for sale?  
A7: Land availability frequently changes because of the nature of property ownership. The intent was to cast a broad net to identify all technically feasible sites, then negotiate for land availability as appropriate. This method is intended to maximize chances for an equitable selection process.

Q8: Is the increasing development of Riva Road the driver for more water storage needs?  
A8: Riva Road is not within the Heritage Harbour Water Pressure Zone. Refer to the FAQ page for the question “We haven’t had an Elevated Water Storage Tank here, so why do we need one now?”  The construction of an Elevated Water Storage Tank (EWST) is not a “new” need and has been recommended in the Heritage Harbour Water Pressure Zone dating back to the County’s 2003 Comprehensive Water Strategic Plan. The absence of an EWST resulted in five widespread outages in the last decade. The EWST is needed for improved reliability, redundancy and firefighting capacity.

The booster pumping station contains a 12,000-gallon tank used to provide a steady operational water pressure. This means that the Heritage Harbour Water Pressure Zone has no additional water storage, making it one of three water pressure zones in the County without storage in its system. For context, the other pressure zones within Anne Arundel County have a minimum of 70 gallons of water storage per person served.      

Over the last 11 years, there have been five breaks in the water main along Harry S. Truman Parkway. The most recent caused a water outage for approximately 2,300 households. Water main breaks cause system disruptions, outages and pose safety concerns for firefighting capacity and water access when there is no backup water storage.

Learn more about water system operations:

The proposed Elevated Water Storage Tank would provide water storage for the Heritage Harbour pressure zone to ensure an adequate water supply for emergencies, firefighting and water system equalization:

• Emergencies – water during power outages, water main breaks and system shutdowns
   
• Fire Storage – water supply for firefighting reliably available and in sufficient capacity.
   
• Equalization – continuation of water service during peak hours beyond treatment plant capacity, and reduction of pumping costs. 

Equalization of the water system is desirable due to how water demand changes throughout the day and week. Water demand in residential areas fluctuates on a diurnal curve, as seen below. For example, there is a sharp rise in demand in the morning as residents prepare for the day, and a second peak in the evening while people prepare dinner and perform household duties. There is low demand at night while most residents are asleep, which is our opportunity to pump water into storage tanks to prepare for tomorrow’s needs.