The water tank that towers over motorists leaving and entering North Kalispell on U.S. 93 is nearly complete.  

The 1-million gallon, 170-foot-tall tower will serve Kalispell’s water system north of Three Mile Drive and around Logan Health Medical Center, according to Public Works Director Susie Turner.  

Construction kicked off in 2023 and the tank is anticipated to become operational before the end of the year. 

The added water storage is meant to accommodate the city’s growing population and meet expanding demands in the northern and western edges of the city. The project was considered a top priority in a 2018 update to the city’s water facility plan.   

The project cost $19 million, which included construction of a control valve building, two new well sites and the hiring of an engineering consultant, Turner wrote in an email to the Inter Lake.  

The city’s water system is divided into two parts: the lower pressure zone and the upper pressure zone. The latter constitutes the water system north of Two Mile Drive.  

At least two more water towers are anticipated to be built in the upper pressure zone: one in 2041 and another in 2061, according to the water facility plan.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].