Potable Water Storage

Elmhurst has a total potable water storage capacity of 15,000,000 gallons.     Source - Baxter and Woodman

3 underground Storage facilities:

1.  North - 5,000,000 gallon capacity

2.  West  - 5,000,000 gallon capacity - (this property has been proposed under the real estate evaluation)

3.  South - 3,500,000 gallon capacity

Note:  Above ground water towers are not used for daily potable water unless an emergency.  They are ~ 1,500,000 gallons of storage (10%)

How much capacity is needed?

1.  Enough for peak daily usage - typical peak is conservatively rounded up to 7,000,000 gallons/day

2. Plus emergency fire suppression - single truck can use 1,500 gls/minute.  3 trucks for 3 hours = 810,000 gls

3. Emergency water main breaks can easily loose 1-2 million gallons pending duration and size - total loss

4. Fire hydrant flushing to rid the system of HAA5 TTHM and other contaminants that build at end of water main trunks ~ 1,000,000 gallons per system flushing

Total if this all happened at one time would be 10,810,000 gallons for the day or 3,603,300 over 3 hours

City has firm pumping capacity of 20,400 gpm or 3,672,000 gallons over a 3 hour emergency interval

Conclusion for me is we are emergency balanced only with all 3 reservoirs and their respective pumps.

Note:  Great map of our water system is on pdf page 102 of 453 in the Baxter and Woodman Report pdf

The water pressure map (next page) is also telling and I am going to get more details of this from the Water Manager

Appears we might have a low capacity fire suppression rate in city centre north of the tracks?