The current water tank at North Park (also known as Water Tower Park) in Sidney.
Interstate Engineering schematic drawing of new water tank. (Photo submitted)
Plans for the new water tower in Sidney, and the surrounding park are nearing the final stages according to Sidney Public Works Director Jeff Hintz and Jordan Mayer, Interstate Engineering.
The 750,000-gallon water tower will sit just east of the existing 300,000-gallon tower. This position was selected to keep the grass area in the northeast quadrant of the park. As a result, the new tower location conflicts with the existing playground area and bathroom building. The old tower will be decommissioned and torn down after the new tower is in operation.
Hintz explained that plans to replace the old tank, which was built in about 1946, have been in the works since 2018. It is not leaking but is impossible to repaint due to the lead in the old paint and EPA rules against sandblasting that into the air. He also said that almost doubling the capacity will help with fire insurance issues within the city as well as accommodate future growth.
Along with the pedestal style tower, plans call for recommissioning and restoring the park amenities affected by the project. By the end of the project, there will potentially be a new multi-use building which will have bathrooms, an area for concessions and an area for storage for the new park and water department. Interstate Engineering is working with the City of Sidney and the parks department to finalize a layout to include a playground, sidewalks, curb and gutter and vegetation depending on funding sources. Irrigation is in place but will be reconfigured to meet the new park layout. Hintz said a picnic shelter is also a possibility if all goes as planned.
Along with the tower, Mayer said there will be three blocks of water main replacement, one block of new water services installation and one lead water service replacement.
Cost of the initial project was $4,770,517. However, with the increase in the water project and restoration and recommissioning of the park amenities, Mayer said the cost could balloon into approximately $7 million. The project will be funded by $1,081,517 Minimum Allocation Grant from the American Rescue Plan Act. The remainder of the project will be funded by the City of Sidney and the Montana SRF program. A water rate increase went into effect in January 2023 in preparation for this project.
The city will have plans finalized and the project out for bids in February or March. The multi-year project should see the installation of the water tower by the fall of 2026.
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