World's 3rd largest reservoir

In June 2008 construction began on a project some members of the community deemed to be an “ugly” venture.
“The old reservoir was broken and we had to come up with something,” said Mike Ryan, Commissioner of Water with the Syracuse Water Department.
On Aug. 8 free public tours were held of the new water reservoir located on the corner of Salisbury and South Orchard Roads in Westvale.
Ryan led some of these tours, which happened every 15 minutes, with no more than 100 people for each.
The two towers will cost $40 million to complete. This cost will be covered by a $2.89 million matching funds grant through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The city has also received low interest loans from the State Revolving Fund of New York State. In order to get these loans, the city had to apply and get on a list by needs.
“We managed to combine projects and make the cut,” Ryan said. With these loans the city will save about $50 million in interest alone.
Susan Kaegel, of Westvale, came to find out what the project was all about. Steven, Kaegel’s husband, accompanied her. Kaegel is not too happy about the project.
“It really takes away from the aesthetics of the area,” said Kaegel.
Most of the community who turned out for the tours came out of curiosity. They didn’t know what was really going on and wanted to know a little bit more.
In an effort of the City of Syracuse Sustainability Initiative to go green, the project will include the construction of a photovoltaic (solar panel) system on the roof of the south storage tank. This system will provide most of the power required for operation of the facility.
Much of the work was completed by local laborers. Ryan stated that as many as 100 people had been working on the project. The project gave a lot of work to Union Halls, the Operators Union, and the Laborer’s Union. After completion, the city of Syracuse will only have minimal staff at the reservoir.
Terry Nares, of Westvale, and his daughters Sophie, 9, and Ella, 11, attended a tour.
“We’re environmentally friendly so they brought me,” said Nares of his daughters. They heard of the construction from a neighborhood landscaper who built their new patio and wanted to know more. Both girls stated that they had learned a lot from the tour.

With each tour, the community learned that the two reservoir towers being built would satisfy the needs of an estimated population of 200,000. Syracuse has been using Skaneateles Lake as water supply since 1894, and on average uses 38 million gallons per day. The new water tanks each hold 32 million gallons of water. Each tank is 375 feet in diameter and 40 feet high. The old Westcott reservoir held 110 million gallons of water.
“Westcott Reservoir was taken off line in 1999 due to deteriorating conditions beyond repair. In 2008, my administration decided that it was unwise and dangerous to have only one operating reservoir serving city residents,” said Mayor Matthew Driscoll in a press release. The south tower will be completed by Christmas this year and the north tower will be completed by Summer 2010. Upon completion the tanks will be the largest east of the Rocky Mountains and the third largest in the world.

By Alisha Tondro, Contributing writer for The Scotsman Pennysaver
Published August 2009 in Syracuse, NY