Water tower to be replaced

New tower to replace Havelock tower built in 1958 expected to be completed by end of 2016

HAVELOCK -- Havelock is getting a new water tower next year, thanks to a grant from the provincial government.

Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township is receiving $1.66 million under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.

Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minster Jeff Leal, the MPP for Peterborough, announced the province’s contribution during a meeting at the village’s standpipe, or water tower, on Concession St. in Havelock on Thursday.

The new, larger tower will hold more volume, improve distribution pressure and offer better fire protection for the village.

Built in 1958, the existing standpipe needed up to $300,000 worth of repairs and upgrades.

The inside of the tower needed sandblasting and repainting, and updated safety features were required.

But now, instead of putting their money into a nearly 60-year-old structure, the township is contributing just over $185,000 into the new water storage facility.

“Without this grant from the provincial government, we wouldn’t be able to proceed with a project of this magnitude,” said township public works director Brian McMillan.

With 627 village users responsible for paying for the water system, an increase to water bills to cover the cost of a new tower wasn’t feasible.

“There’s no way we could increase their water bills to such a rate to afford something like this,” McMillan said.

The township is currently in the planning and engineering phase of the project, with construction to begin in the spring.

The proposed design includes a glass-fused structure, which would require less maintenance than the existing steel standpipe.

The tower will also have a false bottom for a mechanical system.

And it’ll be taller and wider than the existing tower, with the capacity to house an addition in the future.

The township hopes to build the new standpipe about 10 metres behind the existing one, with construction wrapping up by the end of December 2016.

McMillan said the new facility is a “huge win” for the village of Havelock.

CLIFFORD SKARSTEDT/EXAMINER Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister and Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal chats with HavelockBelmont-Methuen Township Mayor Ron Gerow after an announcement to provide $1.66 million in provincial funding to replace the Havelock standpipe water tower,...