Center Street water tank to get a makeover
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on December 24, 2017 3:05 AM
News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
The city of Goldsboro's water tank on Center Street -- best known for its Christmas lights during the holiday season -- will get a complete makeover in the new year.
The one-million gallon water tank will be fully stripped of paint, inside and out, and painted from top to bottom, a job that's expected to take anywhere from four to five months, said Marty Anderson, Goldsboro chief city engineer.
The tank's 30-foot-high pinnacle, which used to be on the top of the structure, was removed in February after rust and other damage was found. The damage also delayed an earlier goal of painting the Center Street water tank and tower, near Holly Street.
City staff received structural recommendations for rust repairs late this year and also decided to wait until after the holiday season, when the tank is lit with Christmas lights, before taking on the job.
The project will go out to bid in January and the work is expected to start in the spring.
"We'll probably start sometime in April," Anderson said.
The near $600,000 project includes repairs to the pinnacle, which is ornamental, and the tank will be stripped, painted and disinfected. The last time the tank was painted was in 2009, but the work only involved an exterior cleaning before the paint was applied, Anderson said.
"This time, we're going to strip it down to bone metal," Anderson said. "The whole tank's going to be stripped down. It will have to be drained and be taken off-line."
City water service will not be interrupted during the project, since the city has three other one-million-gallon capacity tanks that will supply service to customers.
The tank will be painted the same color, and the paint application is expected to last at least 15 years, Anderson said.
The cost of the project is included in the city's current budget, following a recommendation from city staff that repairs were needed to prevent further damage and more costly repairs.