Pateros hopes for new water tower while preserving the old
The restoration project will not improve water flow for the city. But it will replace one of
Before last summer's fire, the towers were covered in bright reflectors -- commissioned artwork by the late
Now, the town has learned that its insurance will pay to replace the reflectors, costing about
Elliot later completed many public and highly visible works using reflectors, including the Yakima Sun Dome, Seattle Sound Transit's light rail station, and a baggage claim wall at the
The city also earned a
But the town's bigger issue -- not having adequate water flow to fight fires -- is not covered by either insurance or federal disaster funds.
Wilson said about six months before the fire the town finished a report outlining the problems with its water system, and a potential fix. "We knew if we had a major (fire) event, we would run out of water," he said.
But the town didn't take action for one simple reason: cost. "We've got 677 people in the community. A water system is
Now,
"This is a deal we've been working on ever since two days after the fire," said Mayor
The House budget has pledged
The new system would include a new, larger water tower.
Brady said the town will do its part. "We don't mind borrowing, but for a town the size of
In the meantine, the project to replace the reflectors on the town's old water towers is forging ahead, Wilson said. All the plans for it -- including cleaning the outside, and replacing the tiles -- must first be approved by the state
If the state funds come through for a new water tower, the old ones will become a reminder of
"The idea is, those will be abandoned as water towers," Wilson said. "They will remain just as icons."
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