By SALINA POST
The City of Bennington has begun a refurbishment project on its water tower, led by Viking Industrial Paiting, at an estimated cost of $250,000.
According to Bennington Mayor Ward Stockamp, the project includes recoating the tower's interior walls, sandblasting lead paint from the exterior, repainting the outside, and performing necessary welding repairs and maintenance.
"With these refurbishments, the tower is expected to remain in service for about 50 to 60 more years," Stockamp said.
Stockamp said replacing the nearly century-old water tower would have cost the city around $1.4 million. The City of Bennington consulted with Lochner Engineering and developed an engineering study before starting the project.
As the refurbishment process gets underway, the water tower will be draped in a tent to prevent any lead paint particulates from escaping the refurbishment zone — located immediately under the water tower.
Stockamp said the refurbishment project began on Sept. 23 and is expected to take anywhere from 45 to 60 days depending on weather constraints.
To view the City of Bennington's past water quality tests click here.
Water quality tests conducted by KDHE dating back to 2017 indicate that the city's water is not contaminated with lead and has not been in the past.