Division 22-1 Reservoir Replacement Project (C2517)

Project Summary (Project No. C2517)

The District owns and operates two water reservoirs at the end of Water Tower Court in Division 22 of the Sudden Valley community. The Division 22-1 reservoir is a 514,000-gallon welded-steel tank constructed in 1971 and the Division 22-2 reservoir is a 626,000-gallon welded-steel reservoir constructed in 2017.

The Division 22-1 reservoir does not meet current seismic design standards and recent structural assessments of the facility have indicated that there is a high probability of tank failure during a significant seismic event. This project will replace the existing Division 22-1 reservoir with a new 626,000-gallon reservoir that mirrors the Division 22-2 reservoir and meets current seismic design standards. The project also implements an earthquake early warning system (ShakeAlert®) to automatically isolate a portion of the tank volume from rapid depletion due to water main breaks that may occur during an earthquake.

To mitigate impacts to District finances, the District applied for and was awarded a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant that will fund 75% of the project costs with an additional 12.5% funded through a grant match provided by the Emergency Management Division of the Washington State Military Department (WA-EMD).  The remaining 12.5% of the project cost will be funded by a low interest loan through the Washington State Public Works Board.

Schedule

Phase 1 – Design/Permitting is in progress with the goal to complete in early 2026.

Phase 2 – To attract more construction bidders and create cost efficiencies, this project is being combined with another project (Geneva Reservoir Seismic Improvements and Recoating Project). The combined project will be advertised for construction bids in early 2026 with all work complete by the end of 2028.  Construction sequencing, will be left to the discretion of the contractor and demolition of the existing and construction of the new Division 22-1 Reservoir may be completed at any time between 2026 and 2028 subject to compliance with Lake Whatcom land disturbance restrictions (limited to June 1 through September 30 of each year).

Project Cost

As of December 2025, the total project cost is estimated at $2,994,000 (design, permitting, construction).

In 2024, the District was notified of the receipt of a Hazard Mitigation Grant for the project with cost sharing as follows: FEMA 75%, Washington State Emergency Management Division (WA-EMD) 12.5%, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District 12.5%.

Project Contact

Greg Nicoll, P.E.
District Engineer
360.734.9224
greg.nicoll@lwwsd.org

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