More than two months after a collapsed dam drained nearly all the water in Tempe Town Lake, a slow refilling process is scheduled to begin Friday, according to a city official.
Tempe received permission to begin filling the lake from the Arizona Department of Water Services, according to a status report released by the city Monday.
The rubber bladder in the lake’s west dam burst July 20 under the pressure of 11 years of Arizona heat, according to a city news release.
The report stated the expected date of completion is Oct. 25, ahead of the initial Nov. 1 estimate, and nearly a month before the Ironman Arizona competition where athletes use the lake for the swimming portion of the triathlon.
Tempe spokeswoman Kris Baxter-Ging said three of the four bladders in the west dam are currently in place.
The northernmost bladder has yet to be replaced, and a large steel cofferdam will be temporary until the fourth is installed in late October to early November, she said.
“We will be able to fill the lake while the cofferdam is in place,” Baxter-Ging said.
The fourth bladder is currently being shipped from Japan, she said. Reach the reporter at ymgonzal@asu.edu
