The City of Bellefontaine’s 500,000-gallon water tower is getting a facelift as part of a long-term maintenance and restoration project.
The Horton Waterspheroid-style tank was built in 1967 by Chicago Bridge & Iron Company.
It stands 151 feet tall, with the bottom of the bowl 110 feet above the ground.
The tower was last painted in October 2011, and the entire 110-foot standpipe was replaced in January 2005.
The current work is part of a 10-year maintenance agreement the city entered into with Utility Service Co. in 2022.
The program has a total scheduled cost of approximately $322,045.
The agreement includes much more than exterior painting.
The interior of the tank has already been renovated and painted, while the program also includes annual inspections and servicing, interior and exterior repairs, painting, and washout inspections.
During a washout inspection, the tank is drained and cleaned before the interior is inspected and disinfected.
The contractor also provides the city with a written inspection report.
Before the current restoration began, the Bellefontaine Fire Department used the tower for specialized training in late August.
Fire crews practiced rope rescue and rigging techniques, including anchor systems, patient packaging, and controlled lowering procedures.
The tank was taken offline, and exterior painting began September 25.
The contractor expects the work to be completed this week, weather permitting.
The city also considered changing the tower from its existing silver aluminum color to white.
However, that would have required removing the existing coating down to bare metal, keeping the tank out of service much longer and adding approximately $500,000 to the project.
As a result, the city decided to keep the silver aluminum coating.
Contractors expect the tower can be repainted at least one more time before it will need to be stripped down to bare metal.
That work is not expected to be necessary for approximately another 30 years.
Once the current painting is complete, the city will prepare the tank to return to service.
City officials say the goal of the 10-year maintenance program is to continually maintain and protect the tower rather than wait until major repairs are needed, helping extend the useful life of an important part of Bellefontaine’s water system.
