BNL 500,000-Gallon Elevated Water Tank

As Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) encountered challenges and frequent repairs with an aging 300,000-gallon riveted multi-leg elevated tank, they contracted to build a new 500,000-gallon “all-steel” single pedestal spheroid-style elevated water storage tank at their campus in Upton, New York. Intended as a replacement tank, and as part of an ongoing effort to revitalize and upgrade the laboratory’s critical water infrastructure systems, the new spheroid style tank was selected to not only increase capacity to accommodate the BNL campus growth, but also to offer a more desirable tank profile with reduced surface area, facilitating easier maintenance in the future.

The strategic placement of the new tank adjacent to the existing one allowed for BNL to maintain the use of the original tank during construction.

The 500,000-gallon spheroid with a 129′-1 top capacity line and 37′-6 head range will provide excellent water pressure as a key component of the laboratory’s potable water system, which includes wells, a treatment plant, and distribution pipelines that provide drinking water and support fire hydrants for the entire campus.

The scope of this project included foundation design and construction of a minimum depth foundation for the tank along with various other site works, E&I and mechanical.

The project was challenged by site specific requirements, security requirements, material restrictions and the elevated scrutiny that comes with a construction project at a federal facility. Despite the heavily controlled environment, the tank itself was completed in a time frame that pleased the Customer and with zero safety incidents.