A new horizon at Smith Mountain Lake will bring water to community

A new horizon at Smith Mountain Lake will bring water to community

August 21, 2003

8/21/2003

​MONETA – It is not a bird, or a plane, but it is certainly a pie in the sky. The bowl of the Smith Mountain Lake elevated water tank was hoisted yesterday to rest 140 feet on a concrete column. The one-million gallon tank will provide public water service to the newly constructed water lines along Hendricks Store Road and Moneta Road (Route 122) to Hales Ford Bridge.

The hoist, performed by tank contractor Landmark Structures I, of Fort Worth, Texas, began just before 11:00 a.m. yesterday after a few delays. The hoisting equipment lifted the bowl from the base of the column approximately 8 inches per minute. The hoisting crew began the process of securing the bowl at the top of the column at approximately 3:30 p.m. The hoist took a little longer than expected as the hoist was paused near the summit to clean equipment to ensure safety and reliability.

Many residents from the area stopped by to witness the erection of the massive steel bowl, freshly painted with the logo developed for the Bedford Tourism and Welcome Center. The logo, reading: “Bedford: At the Peak of Perfection”, can also be seen on many tourism-related venues, such as the Bedford Visitor’s Center, located near the D-Day Memorial off Route 460. It has been used city and county-wide to promote tourism throughout Bedford.

Although the hoist was a major undertaking and a significantly notable phase of progress in the project, several more months of work remains before the tank will be operational. The Highpoint Water Treatment Plant will undergo an upgrade to provide treated water to fill the new tank and lines and provide service to residential and commercial customers in the area.

Click here to download the press release.