WATER TOWER LIT FOR HOLIDAYS
Ability to bathe tower in colors was part of $30 million upgrade.
The 168-foot water tower at Woolbright Road and Seacrest Boulevard is lit up at night in blue and white colors to celebrate Hanukkah, which started Tuesday evening.
The Hanukkah colors will shine until Wednesday. From Dec. 1-11, the tower was colored in red and green for Christmas, and starting on Dec. 26, it will be black, red and green to celebrate the start of Kwanzaa, which is celebrated until Jan. 1.
The water tower is regularly decorated with colors; it’s not just for the holidays. So far the city has done blue for Diabetes Awareness Month, shades of pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and green for National Energy Efficiency Day.
The utilities department has the ability to light up the water tower as part of a $30 million upgrade unveiled in August. The color patterns, which are illuminated on the tower, are a minor part of the upgrade.
The upgrade includes a magnetic ion exchange plant. The city’s tap water is being pre-treated at the plant. It is believed to be the world’s largest and most modern of its kind, city officials said.
The plant removes color and organic matter from the water using magnetic charges rather than chemicals, which results in fewer disinfection byproducts. It has the capacity to provide enough water for the 140,000-plus customers expected by 2035.