Oct. target for water tower

Richland’s new tank will hold 250K gallons, high school spirit

Richland’s new $788,000 water tower is expected to be operational by the beginning of October, if not sooner.

Aside from 250,000 gallons of water, the tower also will hold a little hometown high school spirit.

“City of Richland, Home of the Rangers” will be painted on the tower on U.S. 49 near Cleary Road.

The Richland Board of Aldermen approved an $8,000 change-order request Tuesday night.

And the tower will dominate the vista from football fans sitting in the Richland High School stadium’s main stands, said Alderman Pat Sullivan, who is a 1984 graduate of the school.

“I’m a Ranger, and I thought this could be really good,” he said. “A community that cares for its school reflects positively on the growth of the city.”

The new tower will replace a 150,000-gallon tank on Cleary Road, said Glen Thomas, water department manager.

Federal grant money administered by the U.S. Corps of Engineers is covering the majority of the water tower project and other water improvement projects being completed by the city.

A fourth of the projects are paid for by local funds, Thomas said. The local funds are split between loans and money taken from the system improvement budget.

Residents won’t see an increase in their water bills.

Mayor Mark Scarborough said the steel arrived in April, and crews began welding in May.

Now the crews are preparing for the tower’s paint job by finishing up welding and sanding the surface. Thomas said the crews should arrive within the next several weeks.

Once it’s painted, water samples will be taken. And if the samples are OK, it will be connected, Thomas said.

The city has an existing water tower in its industrial area on the north side of the city, and Sullivan said the board of aldermen wanted to make this tower unique.

“It would be perfect to tie in Richland and the school,” he said.

All three of Alderwoman Cathey Wynne’s children attended Richland High, and she said the city wanted to use the tower to show its support for the school.

“Everybody can see it as they’re coming and going,” she said.

Aldermen approved the bid for the water tower in January with hopes of boosting pressure in the more highly elevated parts of the city, adding to the system’s capacity and improving the city’s fire protection.

Sullivan, who lives at a high elevation, said he’s ready for added water pressure.

“We’re looking forward to it coming on,” Sullivan said.