Algood Officials Seek Citizen Input on Water Tower

The City of Algood will seek further citizen input before deciding whether to take down the water tower this year.

Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said many residents have advocated for refurbishing the tower.

“So I have had a lot of replies that people would like to keep the tower. And we have laughed and called it “Save the Tank” or whatever we want to do,” Fowler said. “But the people that have sent me information, don’t realize that their suggestion comes at a cost.”

Algood officials still seek residents’ opinions before deciding on the fate of the water tower. (Photo: Brian Stansberry)

The city would pay approximately $30,000 to tear down the tank, but repainting would cost anywhere from $54,000 to $100,000. Low estimates account for paint guaranteed to last for 10-12 years while high estimates are for 20-year paint.

Fowler said the city could put $30,000 to repainting the tank if fundraising covered the rest.

“Somebody then has got to come up with $70,000. Put it with the city’s 30 and it can get painted. But that is where the problem lies,” Fowler said. “Everybody says ‘paint it, paint it’ but what they don’t realize is okay paint it. What’s your donation? One thousand, two thousand?”

Fowler said she was unsure if the citizens could raise $70,000 in a year.

“Now that much of a difference at my house, we would be doing $30,000. But I am open,” Fowler said. “I love the water tank, it has been there my whole life.”

Marshall Judd, who lives near the tower, said he is more concerned about the structural integrity.

“Just look on the internet, you’ll find these things fall and injure people with millions of dollars of damages,” Judd said. “And this thing is yes a threat to us, but the biggest threat is if it fell in the daytime when you had kids and family at first national bank, and it injured them. There would be a lot of liability.”

Judd said the repainting process may also pose a problem for citizens.

“If you look on the internet there are, first of all, go up there, look at it. It’s rusty and I am assuming they will sandblast it,” Judd said. “The CDC says sandblasting is pretty dangerous. Second of all, you are blowing away part of the structure of it with sandblasting.”

District County Commissioner Cathy Reel said although structure and liability is a concern, many old and new residents value the water tower.

“I have talked to a lot of people about it. They would like to see the tower stay,” Reel said. “I mean I’m out and talking to people. Everybody is a liability and it is a lot of money.”

The Algood water tower has been out of service for about 20 years, but six feet of water still remains within the tank. The City of Algood placed a box for suggestions in the city hall after Thursday’s town hall meeting.