Cleanup crews continued shrinking the legacy footprint on the 300-square-mile Savannah River Site when they recently removed a water tower that had become a safety hazard after it was taken out of service years ago. December 9, 2025
Office of Environmental Management
December 9, 2025
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AIKEN, S.C. — Cleanup crews continued shrinking the legacy footprint on the 300-square-mile Savannah River Site (SRS) when they recently removed a water tower that had become a safety hazard after it was taken out of service years ago.
The safe and successful demolition of the tower joins more than 4,240 projects the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) has completed on, or ahead, of schedule at SRS since 1993. To date, crews have demolished over 317 buildings — covering more than 2.5 million square feet — significantly reducing the site's legacy footprint while eliminating expensive maintenance costs.
“The work performed by our team is foundational — not only to the success of the organization but also to our broader commitment to national security and environmental protection,” said Kelsey Holcomb, manager of Area Completion Projects (ACP) with EM contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. “Removing outdated infrastructure like this water tower ensures that we can continue to move mission objectives forward safely and responsibly.”
The tower was originally placed into service during the mid-1990s, providing treated water to the site’s D Area powerhouse and surrounding facilities. When the powerhouse was shut down in 2014, the tower was drained and taken out of service.
This latest demolition marks another step toward the complete decommissioning of the 210-acre D Area and brings the ACP team closer to fulfilling its legacy cleanup mission at SRS. Workers have removed 60% of D Area structures, with only two major structures remaining, the powerhouse and the Water Treatment Plant. Decommissioning and demolishing these structures involves extensive asbestos abatement, removal and disposal. Land-use controls will be in place in addition to ongoing groundwater monitoring to ensure the safety and viable reuse of the area. Plans are also underway to install solar panels in D Area, representing a significant step toward repurposing the site for industrial use.
D Area facilities once produced heavy water for nuclear reactors and generated steam and electricity to support much of what was previously known as the Savannah River Plant, which was developed in the 1950s.
With the tower no longer supporting operations, its condition began to deteriorate over time. ACP made the decision to remove the structure to eliminate potential risks to personnel, facilities and nearby systems.
To ensure a safe and efficient demolition, a third-party engineering firm and a demolition subcontractor developed a detailed removal plan. Crews removed a section of one of the tower’s four legs along with the anchor bolt nuts from the remaining three.
They attached a wire rope to the structure for use with a track-mounted excavator positioned outside the tower’s fall radius. This method allowed the team to carefully pull the structure away from nearby systems and permanent equipment.
Once the tower was on the ground, crews cut it into sections, loaded the pieces onto trucks and transported them to an offsite recycling facility.
“Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Area Completion Projects continues to drive its mission forward, focusing on environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance and safety excellence,” Holcomb said.
-Contributor: Fallan Flatow
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