WHEATLAND – The skyline of Wheatland’s Black Mountain subdivision changed Monday when the troublesome water tower came down. Anderson Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project to take down the structure, and Monday morning a small crowd gathered to watch it happen.
The water tower has had issues with leaking since the first year it was installed, which the Wheatland town council has tried to stay ahead of in various ways since. However, in recent years the ability to fix any leakage was significantly reduced and the council contracted CEPI, a reputable engineering firm from Casper, to create an actionable plan to demolish and replace the tower. After leaking increased significantly in deep-freeze temperatures of mid-winter, emergency funds were sought from the State Loan and Investment Board and American Rescue Plan Act funds by local and state representatives.
The portion of the town previously relying on the water tower is currently operating on a form of on-demand system directly from the wells, which is monitored 24-7 by water department employees. A new 500,000-gallon welded steel water tower will be constructed under the supervision of CEPI, with a completion date estimated to be the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2025.
For a video of the demolition, check out The Platte County Record-Times website (www.pcrecordtimes.com) or Facebook page.