Washing up the tower

Some high-flying work is underway in Hartley, but you won't find any acrobats around.

A crew this week began work repainting the water tower. According to Hartley Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz, the structure will be pressure washed with the exterior recoated and the logo restenciled. The tank will also be cleaned, and everything inside the tower – like the shaft – will be blasted and repainted.

"Everything inside other than inside the tank itself will be getting a recoat. It gets inspected periodically and that's still in good shape," Benz explained.

The job is expected to take approximately three weeks. The design of the tower will look the same as it did prior to the work.

The city has a maintenance contract with Suez worth $17,500 each year. Included in that price is a 10-year painting agreement. The water tower gets repainted every decade, and the city doesn't have to worry about paying one lump sum because it's already been covered.

City officials for months debated tweaking the water tower's design. Council Member Jerry Olson believed the cursive writing was too hard to read from a distance, and other members agreed.

However, the design overhaul was eventually deemed too expensive. According to an estimate given in March, a revamped look would cost anywhere between $9,831 and $25,678 depending on how many logos were painted.