With Earthquake Threat, Everett Begins Work on $80 Million Reservoirs

EVERETT – More than a century after it was built, Everett's 20-million-gallon Reservoir No. 3 is showing signs of age.

The concrete cap of the 3.8-acre reservoir is slowly sinking. The city built it about 30 years ago and was once level with its north and south perimeter walls. Now it's sinking a few inches below that.

“These supports are failing,” said Randy Loveless, a senior engineer for the city. “You have concrete that’s collapsing. You have one piece sitting on another piece and it starts to settle. What can happen is if there’s excessive vertical movement — which they’re not designed for — it can lead to a gradual collapse.”

A catastrophic earthquake along the South Whidbey Island Fault could dramatically accelerate the reservoir's collapse, putting drinking water for more than 70% of Snohomish County at risk.

Signs of wear and tear are seen on the concrete facade of the 101-year-old Everett Reservoir Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Perry/Herald)

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City staff began work Tuesday morning on the new No. 3 reservoir east of Evergreen Road, which is estimated to cost about $80 million.

In the first phase of construction, workers will build a new, smaller reservoir that can hold 8 million gallons of water, while the larger, older reservoir remains in service. In the second phase, workers will demolish the old reservoir and replace it with one that can hold at least 12 million gallons of water.

Together, the two new buildings will provide water to approximately 450,000 people in South Everett, Briar, Bothell, Mill Creek and Mukilteo counties.

Last fall, city staff completed a similar replacement project for Reservoir 2 on Rucker Hill, which serves about 200,000 people.

Rucker Hill Reservoir on Sept. 7, 2023, in Everett, Wash. (Olivia Vanney/Herald)

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Construction workers built two new tanks, each with a capacity of 2.5 million gallons, on safer ground next to the original tank. The project cost the city more than $23 million.

One of the new tanks at Rucker Hill has an earthquake valve, said Suhail Nasr, Everett's director of facilities engineering.

“If there is an earthquake, this valve will close,” Nasser said in a previous interview. “We will keep the water in the tank so that people can access it temporarily until we can figure out what to do and how to fix the system.”

The contractors will install an earthquake valve in Tank No. 3 as a replacement as well.

“The reason we have one earthquake valve instead of two is because in the event of an earthquake, and we lose our distribution system, we want to make sure that one of the tanks is closed to conserve water,” Nasser said. “The other tank has to stay open, so all the water that comes through the transmission line has a place to go. If you close both tanks, the water will overflow.”

A schematic of the No. 3 Tank Replacement Project is shown during a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Perry/The Herald)

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Nasser said city workers can also maintain two small tanks more easily than one large tank. Employees can turn off and clean one tank while the other remains running.

The city expects to complete the first phase of the third reservoir late next year, with construction of the second phase expected to begin in 2026.

Taleh Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; [email protected]; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

Gallery

A schematic of the No. 3 Tank Replacement Project is shown during a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Perry/The Herald)

Public Works Director Ryan Sass speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for the No. 3 Tank Replacement Project on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Perry/Herald)

Signs of wear and tear are seen on the concrete facade of the 101-year-old Everett Reservoir Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Perry/Herald)

Rucker Hill Reservoir on Sept. 7, 2023, in Everett, Wash. (Olivia Vanney/Herald)

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