Weyauwega built structure in 1930
By Angie Landsverk
The city of Weyauwega needs to replace its oldest water tower and is seeking a $1 million grant to go toward the cost of building a new one.
“It has exceeded its life expectancy,” City Administrator Jeremy Schroeder said of the tower.
Built in 1930, the tower has an 85,000-gallon tank and is on Clark Street.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) required an evaluation of the water tower.
Cedar Corp. did so last December.
The city contracts with the Green Bay firm for engineering and planning services.
The evaluation found numerous repairs are needed.
The DNR says the tower needs to be replaced within the next couple of years, Schroeder said.
The recommendation is to abandon that tower, as well as the city’s 100,000-gallon ground storage tank.
The ground storage tank was built in 1976 and is on Elizabeth Street.
Schroeder said the recommendation is to replace the 1930 tower and the 1976 ground storage tank with a tower that has a 250,000-gallon tank.
The cost is estimated at $2.4 million to $2.8 million.
The city is in the process of applying for a $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to go toward that cost.
In the past, Weyauwega did not qualify for the grant program, Schroeder said.
The program is for communities with over 51 percent of its residents who are low to moderate income.
Weyauwega is now in that category.
Therefore, it is eligible to seek funds for a public facility project that benefits the entire community.
A water tower is an example of such a project.
When the common council met on April 16, it took action on a few items related to the grant application process.
It voted to hold a public hearing and committed to a fund match if it receives the CDBG funds.
The public hearing is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2.
It is in the council room, located on the second floor of the municipal building.
The city’s financial adviser is looking at establishing a line of a credit with a bank, Schroeder said.
If the city gets the grant, it also plans to seek other funds for the project, he said.
The deadline to apply for CDBG public facility funds is May 17.
The city expects to learn in August or September if it receiving the grant.
If it does get the grant, Schroeder said planning will begin to construct the new tower in 2020.
“We don’t have an exact location,” he said of where it is to be built.
The goal is to construct it at the highest point in the area of Clark and West streets, Schroeder said.
Water pressure is critical, with water tower supporting residents, industry and fire suppression, he said.
The city has two other water towers.
Its tower on Slough Road was built in 1975 and has a 250,000-gallon tank.
The newest tower was built in 2005.
It has a 300,000-gallon tank and is near the former Lakewview Manor facility.