We are excited to announce significant progress on Suburban Water Systems’ Plant 128 project, notably the demolition of a tank that has been a cornerstone of the community for over a century, dating back to a time when vegetables and fruit trees dominated the local industries.
Plant 128 is a critical water pumping and storage facility in the City of La Puente, supplying essential potable water for firefighting, residential, and business purposes in Hacienda Heights. Originally constructed before 1920 by local farmers for irrigation, this concrete tank was later converted to meet community drinking water needs. Despite surpassing its expected lifespan, the need for a modern replacement became evident.
Progress Update
In March 2024, the historic 100-year-old tank was demolished to make way for a new, above-ground welded steel tank. The demolition began by carefully draining the old tank to minimize water waste. Our Production, and Operations & Mechanical teams played crucial roles in this process, managing the pump out flow rate and ensuring that water was redirected appropriately without straining the rest of the system. The demolition required removing significant amounts of debris, including 31 truckloads of concrete and three truckloads of steel and rebar from the old structure. The demolition process required care and control to protect the existing pump station and block wall.
Once the site of the old tank was cleared and prepared, the construction of the new tank commenced. About 125 dump truckloads of soil backfill were delivered to the site to level the ground to match the surrounding area.
The soon-to-be-installed above-ground welded steel tank retains its predecessor’s 500,000-gallon capacity but promises enhanced durability and service reliability for decades to come. This modern upgrade preserves service and storage capabilities and represents a significant step towards modernizing our infrastructure for future generations.
By Jorge Lopez, PE, Vice President, Engineering