Water tower set to come down

     Approved in the first quarter of this year, a contractor for the village of Coal City has been working to get all of the necessary measures in place to remove the water tower located at village hall.
    Due to the tower’s location, its removal is a complicated one which includes coordination with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, Coal City Public Works Department and ComEd to name a few.
    On Monday, Aug. 6, the municipal facilities—village hall and police station—will be closed for business to maintain a safe perimeter around the tank removal site. This shall include restriction from utilization of the village hall parking lot as well. If residents need assistance from police, they may utilize Grundy County dispatching or may still access the intercom located at the front of the police station, 545 S. Broadway, with adjacent parking on Broadway along the west side of the building.
    The village hall water tower, which stands 124-feet high has outlived its useful life. Towers undergo a process of sanding away deteriorated layers and refurbishment resulting in the walls of this vessel, bearing a diameter of 28-feet, becoming a little bit thinner each time this process is undergone. The village had conducted its regular inspections and had planned upon its removal.
    Since this tanks raising in 1947, the village has added two additional water towers, one at North Park and the South Water Tower located on the west side of Broadway between Spring and Reed roads.
    The elimination of this 100,000-gallon tower will result in the above ground storage increasing due to the total height that shall be available with the elimination of this structure. Both of the existing towers shall be able to fill slightly more resulting in additional storage within the two remaining towers than the total storage that was available previously.
    The tower has been emptied and the village’s available storage has already transferred to the two remaining towers.