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Photo by Chris Martin The “Bronco” water tower in downtown Roosevelt in Kiowa County.
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Town of Roosevelt is gradually making progress in rehabilitation of its two water storage tanks.
The South Western Oklahoma Development Authority (SWODA) approved a grant to finance several repairs to the downtown “Bronco” water tower in order to comply with requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mayor Nolan McCall said.
Rails around the 70-year- old tank were replaced, new ladders were installed because the rungs were breaking, and safety equipment was added to ensure that workers won’t fall if they lose their footing while climbing the ladders, McCall related. In addition, old antennas that no longer are used were removed from the top of the tank, he said.
Those repairs were underwritten with a $45,000 Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant from SWODA, and were performed by Pittsburg Tank and Tower Group (PTTG) of Henderson, Kentucky, the mayor said.
Most recently the Oklahoma Water Resources Board approved a $79,999 REAP grant that will be coupled with $16,481 in local funds to repair the roof of the aged 130-foot-tall downtown water tower.
The initial plan was to use the Water Board grant to clean, sandblast and paint the water tower and to make improvements to the tank. However, when the tank was inspected with cameras it was discovered that “the roof rivets were loose,” McCall said.
Consequently, the $96,500 will instead be used to repair the water tower’s roof. The project was advertised for competitive bids recently, and the proposals will be opened sometime in July, Mc- Call said.
The 70,000-gallon tank will be cleaned, sandblasted and painted “as soon as I can get another grant,” the retired Army veteran said Monday.
The town’s other water storage tank, at Cold Springs three miles south of Roosevelt near Tom Steed Reservoir, was renovated two or three years ago, the mayor recalled.
The tank was sandblasted, its filter was changed out, sediment was scraped off the interior of the tank, holes in the roof were patched and the tower was repainted, he said. The repairs were performed by PTTG and were financed with a $44,995 REAP grant from SWODA, McCall said.
Roosevelt is a Kiowa County community of 230 residents, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate.