Roads Close Thursday for Water Tank Demolition

New Jersey American Water Company will demolish its water tank at 11th Street and West Avenue on Thursday, and the work will require nearby blocks of roadway to be closed for the day.

The 1100 block of West Avenue and the 200 block of 11th Street will be closed to all traffic from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday (May 9). Traffic will be detoured.

The 11^th Street water tank in Ocean City has been a part of the community’s skyline for nearly 90 years, according to Peter Eschbach, communications director for NJAWC. He said the 460,000-gallon tank has reached the end of its useful life.

"Built in 1925, the old tank is no longer needed as new wells with increased capacity have replaced the fire flow reserve for the island community that the tank once provided," Eschbach said. "There will be no disruption to water service as a result of the demolition."

Eschbach said no parking will be permitted on these streets while the demolition takes place, though local residents will be provided access to their homes and driveways.