MONTVALE—More than 200 homes on the west side of the borough might continue to have water pressure issues unless a Suez tank is replaced—with two tanks—local officials and Suez said at a town hall on Tuesday night, June 29.
The age and height of the tank—off Hickory Road in the northwest part of town—has led to complaints of low water pressure from customers at higher elevations.
If the water level in the tank drops below a certain level, “we start to have water pressure issues” throughout Montvale, according to Fire Chief Geoffrey Gibbons. He said this affects the borough once or twice a year on average.
In the emergency scenario where two fires break out at once, Gibbons said the fire department would not have enough water to fight both.
Suez North America, based in Paramus, presented its proposed solution to town hall attendees, which included Mayor Michael Ghassali, council members, and residents. Those who live within 200 feet of the tank will be sent a letter notifying them of the project, said Ghassali.
In outreach to residents on June 17 urging attendance at the town hall, Ghassali said in part, “We are working to upgrade and improve our infrastructure. Gas and water lines, roads, sewer system and the electric grid, all need constant maintenance and upgrading.”
At the town hall, Suez said it wants to replace the current tank with two new ones. Each would hold 1.5 million gallons –– doubling the current capacity.
Officials are also seeking to raise the tanks 25 feet above the existing one, or 50 feet higher from ground level. Doing so would increase the water pressure by 10 pounds per square inch for affected customers.
Ghassali said there would be no direct cost to taxpayers.
“Public safety is the primary driver of the project,” said Suez account manager Tony Vicente. “Increasing it by 10 psi is doubling the pressure [for homes]. For office buildings, the impacts may be minimal depending on where the property is, elevation wise, the amount of water that they use, how many floors that they have.”
The twin tanks would run on a natural gas generator and use electric pumps. If the proposal does not move forward, Vicente said the existing tank would have to be taken offline “in the very near future” to be repainted.
While town hall attendees agreed about the need for good water pressure, they pressed officials on the location of the water tanks.
One affected resident on Sunrise Drive said it was the “opportune time to find a more appropriate place” for the tank. Suggestions included commercial areas and along the Montvale portion of the Garden State Parkway.
Vicente said the lower elevation of locations such as Memorial Sloan Kettering and The Shoppes at DePiero Farm mean that any tank built there would be hundreds of feet tall –– towering over the area. Council members asked Suez to look at other suitable locations for the new tanks before any project is initiated.