City of Española Public Works employees, along with representatives of RMCI, of Albuquerque, demolished a decrepit water storage tank Sept. 14 on Lopez Lane as part of a regionalized effort to improve water services to surrounding communities.
Public Works Director Marvin Martinez said the water tank was old, in disrepair and needed to be replaced.
“It was built in 1963 and had lead-based paint in its interior,” Martinez said. “The tank was warped. Its useful life had diminished.”
Martinez said the water tank was operating properly but that installing a newer, larger tank could only be an improvement.
“It was doing its intended function but it needed an upgrade,” he said, adding that plans call to replace the 280-gallon tank with a 500-gallon tank that will function at the same location.
Martinez said the new water tank is part of a larger regionalization project intended to service water to outlying areas.
“(It’s) so we can provide ample water to the surrounding communities,” he said, citing El Llano, Santa Cruz and Cuatro Villas. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s for the betterment of the community.”
RMCI project manager Russ Collins said replacement of the old tank will be coupled with installation of a new well transmission line.
“Another part of this project is to install a new well transmission line from the well No. 7 site to the new water storage tank that did not previously exist,” he said.
Engineer Bob Pollack, with the city’s contracted engineering firm, Wilson and Company, of Albuquerque, said no tests were performed to determine the concentration level of lead in the paint inside the old water tank.
The Environmental Protection Agency website states that consumption of lead-based paint presents serious health hazards to both children and adults and can often be ingested through paint chips or dust settling from lead-paint coated debris.
According to the Agency’s website, children who consume lead can suffer from brain damage, slowed growth, hearing loss, headaches and issues with their nervous systems as well as problems with behavior and learning.
The Agency website further states that toxic effects of lead on adults include: reproductive problems in both men and women; high blood pressure and hypertension; nerve disorders; memory and concentration issues; and muscle and joint pain.