HAYDEN — A field along U.S. 95 could be the new home of a storage tank that holds 2 million gallons of water more than 100 feet higher than the roofs of nearby homes.

The Hayden Lake Irrigation District’s proposal to build a 161-foot water tank in the field at the corner of Lacey Avenue and U.S. 95 will come before Hayden’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday.

District administrator Branden Rose has been trying to win approval to build a water storage facility for his 7,200 patrons for a while. After years of trying to find a place for a second storage tank, Rose settled on a plan to build the tank in the field that the district owns.

Previous sites failed to pass muster with the Federal Aviation Administration, Rose said. The proposed tower is too high for the other sites and would have impeded air traffic at the airport, he said.

Getting the green light from the FAA for the latest site was the first hurdle, but Rose, who has run the 120-year-old water district for the past several years, anticipates more bumps ahead.

Gaining city approval is another hurdle.

The city doesn’t want the tank next to the highway because city administrators consider U.S. 95 the gateway to town. A giant tank would be an eyesore, Rose said. Still, he says he doesn’t have a choice.

District patrons currently are allowed to water their lawns only on an odd-even schedule because sprinklers drain the existing 75,000-gallon system if everyone’s sprinkler turns on at the same time from spring to fall.

“I can’t keep up with the demand,” he said.

A morning emergency, like a fire requiring crews to pump water quickly, could tax the system.

“I have to turn off water to Strawberry Fields, Sunshine Meadows,” he said. “The majority of it is about watering lawns.”

City officials understand the district’s dilemma, community and economic development director Melissa Cleveland said. And they know that Rose is in a time crunch.

The existing capacity doesn’t meet state and federal requirements for, among other things, enough water to fight fires.

“The location they propose isn’t our favorite,” Cleveland said. “That said, we understand that they have a severe need.”

There are not many places in Hayden that allow for a water tower that are not in the airport’s flight pattern, she said, and getting water to residents is a paramount endeavor.

“We serve the same users they do,” she said.

Even though the FAA said the proposed water tower was not a hazard, airport director Steven Kjergaard said the tower has the potential to affect aircraft trying to land on the two runways.

The tower could prevent slower and smaller aircraft from landing in inclement weather, Kjergaard said.

“Eighty to 85 percent of our traffic is from those aircraft,” he said. “It negatively impacts the airport.”

Monday’s 5 p.m. hearing is at Hayden’s City Council chambers. If the proposal is approved, Rose said, his district would make plans to pursue funding options. The tower is expected to cost about $7 million.

The district has planned for another tower for two decades; it long ago began setting aside cash. It now has more than $4 million from ratepayers earmarked for the work.

“We’re very good stewards,” he said.

If the district is given the green light, Rose said the new tower could be in operation by 2021.