The city of Leesburg’s water tower soon will be getting a facelift.
City commissioners approved spending up to $170,100 to rehabilitate the 500,000-gallon tower, which is located on College Street just off Main Street and U.S. Hwy. 441. The work will be done by Utility Services Co. Inc. The Perry, Ga., company submitted the lowest of nine bids to refurbish, paint and wash out the tower.
The highest bid for the project was $296,530, which was submitted by Citrus Sandblast LLC of Winter Garden. The other seven bids ranged from $190,000 to $289,000.
The water tower, which prominently features the city’s logo on it, was last painted 15 years ago. The refurbishment project will protect the structure from rust and corrosion and satisfy a permit requirement that’s needed. In addition, the contractor is responsible for supplying a Florida-certified inspector to sign off on the work once it’s completed.
Also, since the tower is located is located in a residential neighborhood in close proximity to several homes, the contractor will be responsible for making sure that any debris or coating materials are “contained within the confines of the tower footprint.”
