The skyline of Clarendon will soon be changing when the city’s west water tower is replaced by a new, taller water standpipe this summer.
City aldermen awarded a $335,882 bid to Tank & Vessel Builders of Baird, Texas, during the regular city meeting last Tuesday. The company will build the 120 feet tall standpipe about 75 feet north of the present water tower.
City Administrator John Webb said he believes replacing the tower, which was constructed in 1922, will improve the water quality.
“I think 80 percent of the rust and brown water incidents will be alleviated with the new standpipe,” Webb said. “And I think the rest of the problem will be taken care of by new pipes.”
The new structure is also designed to help water pressure problems in the city. Webb said Greenbelt Water Authority and OJD Engineering believe the standpipe will create equal water pressure throughout the city.
Engineer Che Shadle said the current tower produces 32 p.s.i. at the tank and said the new standpipe will produce 52 p.s.i. at the tank. The standpipe will hold about two and half times the amount of water the existing tank does.
Shadle said beginning construction on the standpipe is about 30 days out, and he expects the work to take four to six weeks.
The city received a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $255,000 last year to replace the aging water tower. The project has been delayed as city officials worked to tie it in with the STEP grant project that laid new waterlines in the west part of town.
Webb said the city will still need to tie those new lines into existing meters and transition over to the new standpipe after it is constructed, and then he plans to begin replacing older lines throughout the city.
“We have 16,800 feet of new PVC pipe to install,” Webb said.
In other city business at last week’s meeting, Mayor Chris Ford administered the oath of office to Municipal Judge Jimmy Johnson for another two-year term; and aldermen approved spending $5,000 from the Motel Bed Tax fund to support the Buck’N Blowout Rodeo.
By The Numbers
$335,882
Bid amount from Tank & Vessel Builders.
$255,000
Grant city received for the project.
120
Height of new standpipe in feet.
19
Diameter of new standpipe in feet.
44
How many feet taller new tank will be.
250,000
Gallons the new standpipe will hold.
1922
Year current water tower was constructed.
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