The Oak Bluffs standpipe (town water tank) will be out of service starting next month as it undergoes repairs.

The two-million gallon steel tank on Alpine avenue, built in 1982, is in “dire need of a preventative maintenance,” a press release from the town water district said.

In a project that will take approximately 10 weeks, the tank will be drained and its interior and exterior will be cleaned, primed and painted.

Meanwhile, a connection will be opened between the Oak Bluffs and Edgartown water supplies, essentially joining the two systems and providing additional pressure to the Oak Bluffs water supply.

“We are very fortunate our neighbors are willing to assist, as we will reciprocate when their tank requires the same maintenance in the near future,” district superintendent Kevin Johnson said in the release.

Reached by telephone yesterday, Mr. Johnson explained that the connection between the two town water supplies exists for emergencies or special circumstances such as the impending refurbishment of the tank. “We need to have head pressure in our system and their tank is roughly at the same level altitude as our tank, so their tank will provide us with system pressure for our system,” he said.

Mobile communications equipment for AT&T and Sprint will also be temporarily removed from the top of the tank and relocated nearby.

Bids for the project, estimated to cost $900,000, will be opened Feb. 5.

Work is expected to begin mid-February and conclude before refilling in May, as long as weather conditions are favorable, the water district said.