The City of Valparaiso’s original water tower – located at Tower Park on Franklin Street – is getting a fresh new finish, inside and out this summer, preserving its surfaces into the future.
Built in 1936, the tower’s interior and exterior will be sandblasted and resurfaced, with the exterior featuring a fresh new brand for the City of Valparaiso.
The project kicked off at the end of June and contractors will work seven days a week to complete by the end of August. The tower is out of service during the project, including time for the surfaces to cure, followed by sterilizing the interior and repeated laboratory testing.
The exterior process involves creating a large stencil of the artwork and then rolling/brushing the color over the white base coat – all done by hand. The new surface is expected to last 20 years.
The cost for this specialized process is $476,000, which is covered by fees the City earns by leasing cellular antennas located on the tower to outside services.
Valparaiso City Services has the city’s three water towers inspected and maintained regularly to maximize their lifespans. The City of Valparaiso says that next up, the Silhavy water tower will likely be re-coated in the next several years, followed by the Campbell Street tower, which is the city’s newest tower.
While the tower is out of service, the City still maintains 1.5 million gallons of water through the remaining two towers.
To learn more about the City of Valparaiso’s utilities and services, visit Valpo.us.