LYONS TOWER … The current Village of Lyons water tower stands behind The State Bank in town.
By: Jacob Kessler
The Village of Lyons is looking to replace the ageing water tower located behind The State Bank and Vikings Pizzeria. The tower itself was built in 1948 and has withstood the test of time.
However, with a recent inspection done, it appears that time is coming to a close with the result being the need for a new tower.
The inspection was done by Nelson Tank Engineering and Consulting Inc. and gave the recommendation for a new tower to be constructed within a seven-year timeline.
Of course, waiting for seven years is not an ideal situation which is why the Village Council in Lyons is looking at options to move ahead with a new tower.
The issues warranting the change are not serious in nature and are more normal issues for a tower of its age such as pitting on the inside, and then need to be recoated and sanded.
The Village is hoping to start working on the project within the next couple years, but that timeframe will ultimately be up to available funding.
Some funding opportunities such as grants and Covid money provided by the Federal Government are top priority.
The location of the new water tower is also being worked on with ideas ranging from moving it to a new part of town or putting it in the same spot and possibly redoing the parking lot.
The idea right now is for the new water tower to look similar to the Evergreen Schools water tower located on County Road 6 and US Highway 20 but will be smaller in size.
Quotes for a new tower are currently being looked at now with a projected cost of around $700,000 to $1 million.
Jacob can be reached at jacob@thevillagereporter.com