Water board weighing repaint vs. replacement of storage tank; repair could cost up to $1.8M

Town staff and water-district members updated the Town Board on Aug. 27 about continuing work to determine whether to repaint/refurbish or replace the town's water storage tank.

Staff said divers reported the tank was in better condition than previously feared, making repainting and interior rehabilitation a viable option. Repainting requires draining the tank, treating interior rust or coating issues, inspecting work while drying and providing temporary water by tanker/bladder trucks during the outage. Board members noted that removing a tank from service for inspection and painting could take several weeks and that contractors must watch coatings cure before returning the tank to service.

Staff provided order-of-magnitude figures: repainting/refurbishment was discussed at up to about $1,800,000 while full replacement could approach $5,000,000. The water board has reserve funds and had discussed using approximately $400,000 from a reconstruction reserve and borrowing the balance, but staff emphasized that these were preliminary estimates until formal specs and bids are requested.

Officials also discussed upgrades that could extend the tank's life by 15–18 years, and the planning required for bidding, special-benefit assessment district proceedings and possible contribution from Bard College, which benefits from the tank. Any costs would be borne by water-district users, not the general town tax base, staff said.

The water board is expected to make a formal recommendation in an upcoming meeting; staff said design/spec work should proceed to keep seasonal windows open for work next year.