Duncan schedules 6–8 week water tower maintenance; officials warn of costly treatment upgrades

Village Utility Superintendent Doug Michalak told the Village of Duncan Board of Trustees on June 8 that scheduled maintenance on the town’s water tower will require the tower to be out of service for about six to eight weeks. Michalak said the outage is tied to routine maintenance and coordination with contractors.

Michalak warned the board that the treatment media in the water system likely needs replacement at a cost he described as being in the "hundred thousands," and he said nitrate levels have been elevated at times during the past year, which could prompt the need for the media replacement. He estimated the village’s existing water tower holds about 30,000 gallons and indicated a new tower should be in the 75,000-gallon range when replacement is feasible. He estimated the current tank has roughly 10–15 years of life remaining.

Board members discussed maintenance versus immediate replacement; Trustee Jerusha Ratcliffe recommended continuing maintenance until the village’s water account improves or the village becomes eligible for a loan. Michalak also reported work is needed at the old lift station and noted a contractor, Maguire’s, will need a contract extension due to engineer scheduling. No capital appropriation was authorized during the meeting; the board recorded the utility updates for future budgeting and planning.