The Spokesman-Review and Spokesman.com do a weekly feature, "Here's the Dirt."
Today we're more inclined to feature something called "Here's the Gravel."

Liberty Lake-based TierPoint, one of the region's strongest-growing tech companies, is adding a third data center building on its property on Mission Avenue. On Monday, a 15,000-gallon underground tank went into the ground at TierPoint's innovative new building, which will be designated TierPoint 3. The tank is roughly 35 30 feet long.

While there are some major innovations being installed there (we'll get to them in a later story), the center will need a power backup system and diesel generator to insure customers never see a power disruption.

This tank, delivered by Xerxes Corp., of California, is the below-ground solution for having enough diesel should Avista lose power in Liberty Lake.  Many centers insure uninterrupted backup power for two days. TierPoint plans on having nine or more days of backup power if needed.

The photo shows the tank partly buried in gravel. Trucks were hauling in additional gravel that will surround the tank up to its cap.

The company plans on opening the center in spring 2011.

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