(Westville, IN) - The life of old water tower in Westville has been extended but remains on borrowed time.

 

A contractor was hired in September of 2021 to bring it down.

 

However, Town Council President Mike Albert said the contractor never got around to it because of possible logistics problems.

 

He said the Indiana Department of Correction has made taking down the tower part of the new prison construction project.  Once the new water tower serving just the prison goes up, Albert said the equipment already there for that task will travel the short distance to the old tower and bring it down.

 

Albert said the town will pay the cost but at a savings since machinery doesn’t have to come from a longer distance.

 

“It’s more cost effective,” he said.

 

He said the old tower built in 1928 should be taken down, perhaps, as soon as the summer of next year or early in 2027.

 

Some people are sentimental about the tower and consider it to be a landmark, but it needs a repainting at a cost estimated a few years ago at over $200,000.

 

Albert said he grew up in Westville and also has sentiments about the tower, but feels over $200,000 is a lot of money for something no longer serving a useful purpose.

 

The town is now served by a much larger tank installed when the water treatment facility was built over 20 years ago.