IDAHO GOES DOWN The 88-year-old water tower in Idaho Falls will soon be demolished as the replacement tower is almost finished after months of development.
According to EastIdahoNews.com, the city’s water supervisor, Dave Richards, stated that the old water tower will continue to function until the new one is prepared to replace it. For the older tower, the city is already searching for a list of demolition contractors.
According to Richards, the goal is to have the tower demolished this autumn.
According to Richards, the problem with its demolition is that it is located in a downtown area, which will make the task challenging. By September, he added, the city intends to have a shortlist of contractors.
Richards said that the historic water tower cannot remain in its current location and that demolishing it is the safest course of action, acknowledging the public’s desire to find solutions to keep it there. The old tower will start to deteriorate if the city stops spending money on upkeep once the new one is put into service.
If people have sufficient support, they can negotiate a contract to have the water tower moved once a contractor has been selected to demolish it, according to Richards.
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Finding safe techniques to reduce the lead-based paint and making sure it is structurally feasible after it is moved would still be problems if this scenario materialized.
“That would be a side contract between a private individual and whoever the contractor is,” Richards replied, without implying that it couldn’t occur. To find out if the contractor would consider a side contract with a private company, entity, or individual, I’m sure such information could be made available.
The Museum of Idaho held a town hall in April to talk about the water tower’s history and ask locals about their experiences of it. Ways to preserve portions of the historic tower were considered during the town hall. According to Richards, the contract would include a clause requiring certain tower components to be saved and donated to the museum.
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Before the new tower can be formally put into service, Richards stated that a few more projects need to be finished. Before it can be chlorinated, filled, and tested for bacteria, he said, electrical work, safety upgrades, and heating and ventilation installation must be finished. It will be ready to use after passing these checks.
According to Richards, it will be put into service by early fall or even earlier, depending on the contractors and assuming no problems arise that cause it to take longer than expected.
Residents who commute on the streets surrounding the water tower should no longer be impacted by the ongoing upgrades being made to the parking lot at the Idaho Falls Public Library, he said.
Richards stated that although the water tower’s lights are a little preview of what the installed lights can accomplish, they won’t constantly remain red and blue. A policy for the use of the lights must be devised, and city staff still need to receive training on them.
Richards stated, “We look forward to that new tower and are eager to get it up and in service.” Although we hate to say goodbye to the current one, time and aging have made that inevitable.
