By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
The city of Taylor Mill took the first step toward increasing water pressure in the city.
Several members of the Northern Kentucky Water District joined Mayor Dan Bell and Councilmembers Ed Kuehne and Caroline Braden as well as Kentucky legislators Senator Chris McDaniel and Representative Kim Moser Tuesday morning to participate in breaking ground for a brand new water tower.
“It is thanks to the leadership of the board of the NKY Water District that we plan, build, maintain and invest in our assets to deliver dependable services that promote a healthy and viable community,” said Linsey Rechtin, president and CEO of the NKY Water District. “We take our mission of providing our customers a safe, clean and sufficient water supply very seriously.”
She talked about realizing that the former Taylor Mill standpipe wasn’t meeting the needs of the community, and said the water district immediately took steps to make it better.
There had been a standpipe water storage near Taylor Mill elementary that had a capacity of 330,000 gallons, but it was taken out of service in 2019. It was taken out because it wasn’t tall enough, and it didn’t have enough water pressure.
Only the top quarter of water in the standpipe was usable, making the amount of water available for the community closer to 90,000 gallons instead of the 330,000 gallons it was supposed to have.
The Water District measured the usage in the city at approximately 550,000 gallons, so they knew a solution was badly needed.
Rechtin explained that the solution has three key points; first, a tank has to be more centralized to the zone, which enhances water quality; secondly, it has a high enough elevation, to maximize pressure and storage needs, and lastly, it needs to run along a 16 inch transmission main along the parkway which helps fill and empty the tank so the water is constantly moving.
To get to this point, the water district has been replacing the old water main, because as they increase water pressure, the old main would not have been able to handle that pressure.
Now they are gradually increasing the water pressure.
The ground was broken on a brand new water tower on Tuesday, and the finished product will grace the horizon across from Scott High School and will be a definite landmark in the community.
“This represents economic development,” said Kenton County Judge Executive Kris Knochelmann. “It is an investment in Northern Kentucky and in Kenton County. Lindsey and the board continue to raise the bar in what it means to lead. This project also represents quality of life. We are proud as a fiscal court to support the board.”
The new tower will be shaped more like a recognizable water tower and will be able to consistently produce 500,000 gallons per day. In addition, the new tank will ensure that the area will continue to be served even in the case of an emergency.
With this elevated storage, the tank will be buffered against pressure variations from rapid increases or decreases in water demands.
Currently, Taylor Mill is borrowing water storage from other tanks outside the city, and will continue to do so until the new tower is finished.
“In many ways this new water tower signifies the growth of Taylor Mill and the eastern part of Kenton County,” said Mayor Dan Bell. “We are going to have an additional 300 new housing starts over the next few years, and they are going to need advanced water pressure. This is really important to Taylor Mill. It is important to have the infrastructure that we need to grow as a city, and water is an imperative need.”
The new tower is scheduled to be completed by the fall or 2025 and will serve 2633 active services from approximately 45 miles of water main and will average a half million gallons of water daily.
“Finally, I want to thank our incredible staff, who work day and night to put the needs of the community above their own,” Rechtin stated. “That enables all of us to be able to turn on our taps without wondering if clean drinking water will be available.”