George Mason University Gets Replacement Water Tank

George Mason University, located in Fairfax, Va., recently saw the installation of a new, 2.5-million-gallon water tank. The new tank stands 156 feet tall and provides water to the university campus and surrounding housing area.

The former tank was demolished in January 2019, and the new one was built and put into service on Oct. 22, 2020. During the interim, the campus and surrounding areas received water from a different part of the city’s water distribution system.

The tank is property of Fairfax Water, who was responsible for the demolition and construction both. It will be paid for “via water rates, fees, and charges,” said Fairfax Water spokesman Susan Miller. It was built in the same spot as the previous one, which was smaller, lower-capacity, and erected in 1978. The concrete base was finished in December 2019, and the steel storage bowl was moved into place in April 2020.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.