Hwy. 8 water tower to be repaired

The city water tower on U.S. Highway 8 is due for interior repainting and other improvements.

Last week, the Rhinelander Common Council accepted a quote of $165,900 from Water Tower Clean and Coat of Lodi for completion of the work, as requested by city waste water foreman Curt Johnson.

“The Hwy 8 Water Tower needs this work, as the interior is rusting out (sand blast and paint), repairs need to be made, and a new OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) approved climbing safety system needs to be installed,” Johnson wrote in a memo to city administrator Patrick Reagan. “Interior sand blasting and painting is needed to keep the water tower from rusting out to prevent any holes or leaks from occurring, which could lead to shutting down the tower for extensive and expensive repairs.”

“Repairs are needed as noted in the quote that was addressed during the 2021 DNR-required inspection on the tower,” he added. “The new climbing safety system needs to be replaced, as the existing one is no longer OSHA-approved and is a safety concern when staff and contractors are climbing the tower.”

During last Monday’s council meeting, Reagan noted that the work is not expected to take place until summer but council approval was necessary in order to get on the schedule.

The city has a total of three water towers, however the Highway 8 tower is the only one currently in need of repair. 

W. Davenport Street work

In other business, the council also directed Mayor Kris Hanus to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Town of Crescent related to the town’s upcoming West Davenport Street project.

According to the resolution approved by the council, the Town of Crescent will be making improvements on W. Davenport later this year and there are city-owned utilities — sewer and water lines, manholes etc. — within the right-of-way.

As the resolution explains, the Town of Crescent owns Davenport Street from STH 47 to its termini at Crescent Street thus it’s important that the two governmental bodies are on the same page with respect to their individual responsibilities. 

According to the MOU, the city will be responsible for “integrity of manhole structures, casting, and water valve boxes prior to Town of Crescent Road resurfacing project.”

“If the City of Rhinelander and Town of Crescent jointly determine that any castings or valve boxes require replacement, these appurtenances will be supplied and installed by City of Rhinelander at no cost,” the resolution states.

“If damaged by the contractor, it will be the contractor’s responsibility to replace casting and/or valve boxes at the contractor’s sole expense,” the resolution continues. “The adjustments to manhole and/or valve boxes will be responsibility of Town of Crescent’s contractor during construction. Any proposed adjustments of appurtenances shall be reviewed and approved by the City of Rhinelander and Town of Crescent. The City of Rhinelander will have (the) right to inspect manholes and water valves prior to and during paving operations. Any manhole and/or water valve work done by City of Rhinelander should be completed prior to June 15, 2025.”

In his written report to the council and during Monday’s meeting, Reagan noted that the utilities in question are believed to be in good condition.

“This MOU basically states that we will inspect our manholes, valve boxes, etc. and if they need to be replaced, we will do so prior to paving,” Reagan wrote in his report to the council. “The Water Department has notified me that this should not be much of an issue as these appear to be in relatively good shape and, should repairs need to be made, we will likely have the necessary parts to do a very quick repair.”

The full council meeting is available to view at www.hodagtv.com.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].