Manteca may spend $255,000 to secure 1.113 acres along Atherton Drive just north of Woodward Avenue to in order to build a 2.7-million gallon water tank.

The land is now owned by Tesoro Commons.  Principals in the limited liability company are Al Boyce and Mike Atherton. The fair market price was determined by an appraisal.

The City Council will consider purchasing the property during Tuesday’s 7 p.m. meeting at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

The city opted for a squat tank design as opposed to the 175-foot water towers Ripon built at Mistlin Sports Park and at Jack Tone Road near Highway 99. The tank being built on Atherton Drive is similar to those on Lathrop Road near Union Road and on West Yosemite Avenue in front of the municipal wastewater treatment plant.

The water towers in Ripon that are visible on a clear day by motorists on Interstate 580 descending the Altamont Pass can hold 2.5 million gallons of water each or 200,000 gallons less than the proposed Atherton Drive water tank. By comparison, the 51-year-old water tower that no longer passes state-mandated seismic standard located on Wetmore Street near Main Street was designed to hold 300,000 gallons. That water tower is scheduled for demolition this year.

The tank will improve water pressure in southeast Manteca and accommodate development that has been already approved but not built. The new tank will connect with a water pipeline being built in the coming months down Austin Road to the site. That pipe taps into surface treated water from the Nick DeGroot Treatment Plant located just west of Woodward Reservoir.

Part of the sale agreement requires the city not to oppose development on the remainder of the parcel because of possible or implied conflicts due to the existence of the water tank. The parcel has a former freight terminal on it and borders Atherton Drive on the west, Woodward Avenue on the south and the Union Pacific Railroad on the east.

The city will also construct a masonry wall at least eight feet high between the tank and the rest of the property.