SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — Idaho’s dry, warm winter is raising concerns about drought and water demand heading into the summer months.
Veolia, which provides water to Boise and parts of surrounding cities, recently completed a project to build the largest freshwater storage tank in the state.
“It’s nearly 7,000,000 gallons of water,” said Russell Brooks, Veolia Water's Engineering Manager.
WATCH | Check out the massive tank and learn how it helps keep water flowing in Boise—
Brooks said the company’s two Columbia Ridge tanks now hold a combined 10 million gallons of freshwater.
“A common thing that I always hear is, I turn on the faucet, water is there, and it’s great — but so much goes into it whether we're pumping water, we’re storing water, we’re pulling water out of the river or out of the ground,” Brooks said.
According to Veolia, water is pumped from ground wells and surface collection sites into the tanks overnight when electricity costs are lower. The stored water is then used during periods of peak demand.
“In irrigation during the summer, we'll see a fivefold increase in our water demand,” Brooks said.
The new tank seven million gallon tank is one of 40 water storage tanks across the Treasure Valley. Brooks said winter water demand averages between 20-25 million gallons per day, but summer demand can climb to nearly 95 million gallons daily.
“This tank is a really critical piece of infrastructure for us to have, especially living in this dry high desert environment that we live in,” said Madeline Wyatt, Veolia's Communications Manager.
The new tank cost about $9 million to build and brings the system’s overall storage capacity to about 100 million gallons of freshwater.
Earlier this month, the Boise City Council adopted an emergency ordinance allowing the city to address drought conditions through different response levels. The ordinance ranges from voluntary conservation measures to mandatory restrictions on activities such as lawn watering and pool filling.
“Conserving water, especially when we see an increase of 70,000,000 gallons being asked for by our customers during those summer months, we really feel conservation is critical to the environment that we live in,” Wyatt said.
Veolia says outdoor landscaping remains one of the largest sources of water use during the summer. The company hosts a drought-friendly demonstration garden at its South Boise office for residents interested in water conservation ideas to check out.
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