Testing at Guilford Reservoir - Brief booming sounds will be heard

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The Guilford Reservoir project on West Cold Spring Lane will be undergoing a series of Statnamic load tests next week. These involve the use of high pressure to assess the load carrying capacity of deep foundations.

The Statnamic load tests will be conducted four times during the week of March 13, 2017 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each test will last less than a second. In some cases two tests may be conducted in a single day. Thirty minutes prior to each test an air horn alarm will sound. Residents will then hear a brief booming sound when the test occurs. This will not impact nearby properties, but could set off car alarms.

To view a Statnamic load test, please go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPVuWBjAw2M.

The Guilford Reservoir project involves the placement of two buried 6.8 million gallon concrete water tanks within the footprint of the former open drinking water reservoir. New pumps, pump station, mains, drains, and site enhancements will be a part of the project. When completed, the extensive landscaping will create a very attractive green space in the Guilford Community.

There are four phases of the project:

Phase I – Construct bypass of the 48 inch water main. Completed

Phase II – Work on the reservoir itself, including draining it and installing tanks. This work is underway and will be completed by August 2018.

Phase III – Construction of the pump station and activation of the tanks. This phase will begin in June 2018 and be completed in one year.

Phase IV – Site restoration and landscaping. This is planned to begin in June 2019 and be done by November 2019.

Allen Myers, Inc. is the contractor for both the reservoir and pumping station. The total cost of this construction and renewal is approximately $75 million. This project is required by the Federal Clean Drinking Water Act in order to protect finished drinking water from the elements before it is sent to many of the 1.8 million customers of the Baltimore City water system.

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