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Willard to prioritize internal repairs after inspection shows coating failure on water tower
Summary
An inspection reported poor adhesion of exterior coatings on a Willard water tower (Meadows Tower No. 3). Staff and consultants recommended prioritizing interior coating and structural repairs and creating a capital reserve and rate plan to fund multi-year maintenance.
An engineer reported to the Board of Aldermen that a coating-adhesion inspection on Water Tower Number 3 (Meadows) produced "not good" results, with exterior coatings failing to adhere and two coats not bonding properly. The consultant advised the board that deterioration typically proceeds "from the inside out" and recommended prioritizing interior inspection and coating before spending funds on an exterior repaint.
The presentation explained options and sequencing: repair/replace deteriorated interior steel, sandblast where required, apply zinc-rich primer and epoxy/poly coatings on interior surfaces and then, when budget permits, address exterior coatings. The consultant said an internal coating properly applied can provide 10–20 years of service and urged creation of a capital projects reserve or major-maintenance fund to accumulate resources between rounds of major work.
Council discussed bid specifications, timing and financing; staff outlined a tentative schedule of interior work for Tower 3 in 2025 and Tower 2 in 2026 pending cost estimates and rate study results. Members asked that staff prepare bid documents, cost estimates, and a mechanism to smooth rate impacts (capital reserve and rate escalator) before committing to external painting.
Next steps: staff to finalize bid specifications, seek competitive bids and present cost estimates and a proposed capital-reserve transfer and rate plan to council for action.
