Familiar sight will soon be getting a total makeover
It has served the City of Willard well since 1958. The water tower at Walton and Woodbine streets has been a friendly reminder for those on the roads.
It has been 25 years since the last rehab, according to Willard City Manager Bryson Hamons.
Council approved a resolution in January to allow the city to seek bids for a complete rehab of the structure. It would also include re-coating.
“It is in need of rehab in order to increase its lifespan,” he told members of city council. The tower will be properly prepped, primed, and painted on both the inside and outside of the tower with the proper coatings to ensure safe drinking water.
The city will open bids on the project on March 6. The estimated cost is $659,000. Hamons said some of the specific costs have yet to be determined and may have to be negotiated.
“Right now, it’s just out to bid,” he pointed out. Dixon Engineering is handling the bidding process for the city, according to Hamons. Dan Thornton, city engineer, pointed out that the project is a specialty. Bidders have to be pre-approved in order to bid on the job.
“There’s not a ton of contractors out there,” Thornton noted. “We won’t know the total until we go out for estimates and we get the bids back.”
The actual work will be complicated, Hamons said.
“This is my first one,” he explained. “There’s more than just painting.”
Thornton said there is interior work and work on the tower. It includes exterior repaint with containment.
“Basically, they drape it,” Thornton pointed out. “Then they can paint inside it. There is also miscellaneous repair work and safety upgrades to the tower itself.” Work will also have to be done to the walkway, Thornton noted. This is because of Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA requirements.
According to Hamons, no branding of the tower has been decided. While it has proudly spelled out “Willard” for the last 25 years, it is known how that will change. Pricing will also come into play. “We will go out and get prices,” Hamons said. “We’ve got a good team.”