Crews hoist new water tower into place Tuesday on Pettit Road

Crews lifted Fort Erie’s new elevated water tank onto its pedestal Tuesday morning at 1886 Pettit Road, putting in place the structure that will supply the town’s water for decades.

The new tank will replace the aging Central Avenue elevated tank and the Stevensville reservoir, and will add water storage and pressure for homes, businesses and fire protection in Fort Erie. Niagara Region expects the tank to be in operation by July 2027.

The lift began around 9 a.m. and was expected to take three to four hours, weather permitting. The work took place entirely on Niagara Region property, so no roads were closed and no detours were needed.

The tank weighs 9,250 tonnes and stands 56.7 metres (186 feet) tall, roughly the height of a 15- to 18-storey building. Elevated tanks store treated drinking water and use gravity to provide reliable water pressure to homes, businesses and fire protection systems.

“We are very excited to be hoisting a new elevated water tank in Fort Erie to accommodate anticipated growth and better serve the community,” said Phil Lambert, the region’s director of water and wastewater services, in a news release.

The region chose the Pettit Road site through a Class Environmental Assessment, which reviewed the existing water system and evaluated possible locations in Fort Erie.

The region’s Water and Wastewater Master Servicing Plan recommended a new tank to consolidate Fort Erie’s existing storage facilities, which are nearing the end of their service life. The region says the new tank will also cut long-term lifecycle costs and simplify pumping operations.

Construction of the tank boosted Fort Erie’s building activity last year. Nine industrial building permits represented $19.9 million in activity in 2025, an increase of nearly $13.5 million from 2024, and the water tank accounted for much of that jump.

Niagara Region operates six water treatment plants and 38 reservoirs and elevated tanks across 11 municipalities.

Once the new tank is commissioned and fully operational, the region will decommission the Central Avenue tank and the Stevensville reservoir. The old tank will then be removed and recycled.

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