North St. Paul Council Hears Update on 750,000-Gallon Water Tower, Timeline and Costs
June 03, 2026 | North St. Paul City, Ramsey County, Minnesota
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The North St. Paul City Council on Thursday received an engineering update on a proposed replacement for the city’s aging north water tower, with consultants recommending a larger 750,000-gallon composite structure and outlining a likely design-and-build timeline.
Morgan Dolly, the consulting engineer, told the council the recommendation came from a siting study completed in 2019–2020 and that the city has long been aware of a storage shortfall identified in prior comprehensive plans. “I have to say it’s outstanding that that was approved,” Dolly said of reassigning $4.5 million from a community center project to the tower effort.
The recommendation and why it matters
Dolly said the study favors a composite-style tower at the existing Tower Park site beside the current north tower because underground trunk piping, utility access and cellular equipment are already in place. Building the new tower next to the existing one would allow crews to keep the older tower online while the new one is completed, reducing service risk during construction. Dolly explained composite options cost more up front but typically require less repainting and maintenance over decades, improving life-cycle cost.
What the council heard about size, pressure and modeling
The consultant said the siting study recommends increasing the north tower’s storage from roughly 300,000 gallons to 750,000 gallons to meet engineering guidance known in the presentation as “10 state standards.” On system pressure, Dolly said the city’s hydraulic model shows no service areas falling below the recommended pressure range: “We don’t have any areas within the city that fall below … that recommended lowest range of pressure.” He cautioned that creating separate pressure zones to boost the north side could add substantial infrastructure expense and introduce high-pressure problems elsewhere.
Schedule, funding and procurement considerations
Dolly estimated roughly one year for design and another for construction under a typical schedule, suggesting design work in 2027 and construction in 2028, with limited pre‑design and survey work possible in 2026 depending on timing of state grant agreements. He emphasized that leak testing and targeted piping work will be part of the design process and that the $4.5 million from the state is finite; the detailed design will determine whether additional city funds are required.
On procurement, Dolly discussed using contractor prequalification or reference checks to ensure bidders have prior water-tower experience and adequate bonding capacity. He said prequalification can reduce the risk of awarding to an underqualified low bidder but may narrow the bidder pool.
Telecom leases, site impacts and community outreach
The council discussed whether a larger tower would create additional lease revenue from cellular providers. Dolly said a larger structure could allow more antenna space, but existing leases would need review and coordination. He also recommended building aesthetic options and visualizations into the design contract so neighbors can see mockups and branding choices before construction.
Operations, monitoring and risks
Public works staff explained the city’s SCADA monitoring system that tracks tower levels, well and pump status and sends alarms by text and email. Randy, a public works official, described redundancy and alarm response procedures and warned that a large leak could rapidly drain a tower: “It could drain the tower in a half hour,” he said, underscoring the importance of monitoring and response.
A staff example illustrated maintenance issues the city faces: lift station pumps were repeatedly clogged by retailer security tags flushed in nearby restrooms; staff said they worked with the retailer and adjusted equipment to reduce the problem. The anecdote served as a reminder that aging infrastructure can produce unexpected costs during larger projects.
Next steps
No formal council action to authorize design or contract awards occurred at the meeting; the session served as an informational briefing. Consultants and staff said they expect to return with pre-design and more detailed estimates in 2027 and recommended early public engagement with the neighborhood near Tower Park and coordination with cellular providers and utilities.
The council recessed and planned to reconvene at 6:30 p.m.
Morgan Dolly, the consulting engineer, told the council the recommendation came from a siting study completed in 2019–2020 and that the city has long been aware of a storage shortfall identified in prior comprehensive plans. “I have to say it’s outstanding that that was approved,” Dolly said of reassigning $4.5 million from a community center project to the tower effort.
The recommendation and why it matters
Dolly said the study favors a composite-style tower at the existing Tower Park site beside the current north tower because underground trunk piping, utility access and cellular equipment are already in place. Building the new tower next to the existing one would allow crews to keep the older tower online while the new one is completed, reducing service risk during construction. Dolly explained composite options cost more up front but typically require less repainting and maintenance over decades, improving life-cycle cost.
What the council heard about size, pressure and modeling
The consultant said the siting study recommends increasing the north tower’s storage from roughly 300,000 gallons to 750,000 gallons to meet engineering guidance known in the presentation as “10 state standards.” On system pressure, Dolly said the city’s hydraulic model shows no service areas falling below the recommended pressure range: “We don’t have any areas within the city that fall below … that recommended lowest range of pressure.” He cautioned that creating separate pressure zones to boost the north side could add substantial infrastructure expense and introduce high-pressure problems elsewhere.
Schedule, funding and procurement considerations
Dolly estimated roughly one year for design and another for construction under a typical schedule, suggesting design work in 2027 and construction in 2028, with limited pre‑design and survey work possible in 2026 depending on timing of state grant agreements. He emphasized that leak testing and targeted piping work will be part of the design process and that the $4.5 million from the state is finite; the detailed design will determine whether additional city funds are required.
On procurement, Dolly discussed using contractor prequalification or reference checks to ensure bidders have prior water-tower experience and adequate bonding capacity. He said prequalification can reduce the risk of awarding to an underqualified low bidder but may narrow the bidder pool.
Telecom leases, site impacts and community outreach
The council discussed whether a larger tower would create additional lease revenue from cellular providers. Dolly said a larger structure could allow more antenna space, but existing leases would need review and coordination. He also recommended building aesthetic options and visualizations into the design contract so neighbors can see mockups and branding choices before construction.
Operations, monitoring and risks
Public works staff explained the city’s SCADA monitoring system that tracks tower levels, well and pump status and sends alarms by text and email. Randy, a public works official, described redundancy and alarm response procedures and warned that a large leak could rapidly drain a tower: “It could drain the tower in a half hour,” he said, underscoring the importance of monitoring and response.
A staff example illustrated maintenance issues the city faces: lift station pumps were repeatedly clogged by retailer security tags flushed in nearby restrooms; staff said they worked with the retailer and adjusted equipment to reduce the problem. The anecdote served as a reminder that aging infrastructure can produce unexpected costs during larger projects.
Next steps
No formal council action to authorize design or contract awards occurred at the meeting; the session served as an informational briefing. Consultants and staff said they expect to return with pre-design and more detailed estimates in 2027 and recommended early public engagement with the neighborhood near Tower Park and coordination with cellular providers and utilities.
The council recessed and planned to reconvene at 6:30 p.m.
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