BRYANS ROAD, MD * The Charles County Commissioners officially opened the Bryans Road Water Tower and Bryans Road Well No. 6 with ribbon-cutting ceremonies on November 22.
The new well and water storage facility are located behind the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad on Route 227, near its intersection with Route 210. The well, constructed by A.C. Schultes of Maryland, Inc. at a cost of $1,237,150, is 855 feet deep and produces 685 gallons per minute with a 200 hp 8-inch pump. Construction was completed on October 19.
"The well was drilled in the Patuxent Aquifer to reduce demand on the Patapsco Aquifer, and was a cooperative effort of the County, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and the Maryland Geological Service," said the County Commissioners, "and $500,000 of the cost was provided by a grant from MDE for the Lower Patapsco and Patuxent Aquifer Study in the Bryans Road-Indian Head area."
Adjacent to the well is a new 175-foot high water tower, built by Landmark Structures, Inc. of Ft. Worth, Texas, with a 1-million-gallon storage capacity. Completed at the end of August, the tower cost $2,308,148 to construct. The new facility is a composite tower, with a concrete pedestal, steel tank, and two storage areas for materials and equipment. Its composition makes it easier to maintain than traditional all-steel towers, and the lower level can accommodate vehicles, facilitating response times for the Department of Utilities.
"Th elevated tower and the new well provide storage capacity for the Bryans Road water system during peak demand periods and relieve stress on the Patapsco Aquifer by reducing the frequency that wells need to run," said the County Commissioners.
The tower was designed to provide adequate domestic and fire safety water storage and a more reliable source of water, since there would not be any distribution interruption during power outages. The previous ground storage system required pumps and electricity for distribution.
The Department of Planning and Growth Management Development and Capital Services Division, which managed the project, said the tower's dimensions include: a concrete base that is 38 feet in diameter and 132 feet high; a steel tank 72 feet in diameter and 48 feet high; and a 79-foot foundation with a 3-foot, 6-inch thick pile cap resting on 102 piles that are 60-85 feet long.
Photo: The County Commissioners have cut the ribbon at the entrance to the lower level of the new Bryans Road Water Tower, located behind the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Participating in the ceremony, from left to right, are Commissioner Al Smith, Commissioner Candice Quinn Kelly, Commissioner President Wayne Cooper, Director of the Department of Utilities Jerry Michael, Commissioner Edith Patterson, Interim County Administrator Roy Hancock, and Marcia Smith with the Maryland Department of the Environment.