City leaders in Odem are weighing major repairs to the city’s water tower after an inspection revealed severe deterioration that could require millions of dollars to address.
Mayor David Maldonado said the findings were discussed this week following an inspection conducted as part of a planned rehabilitation project for the decades-old structure.
According to a post by Maldonado, inspectors found extensive corrosion and coating failure both inside and outside the tower, with some steel plates deteriorated to the point that holes have formed.
“There’s a lot of rust both on the exterior and the interior of the water tower,” Maldonado told KRIS 6 News. “Some rust was already kind of all the way through. You could actually put your hand through some of the openings.”
The water tower, which Maldonado said has been in place for more than 30 years, has never undergone a full service or rehabilitation since it was installed. City officials previously avoided taking it offline due to the lack of a backup system capable of maintaining water service during repairs.
Inspectors also identified OSHA and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality violations tied to corrosion, including unsafe ladder rungs, missing gaskets and non-compliant vents. Maldonado said engineers do not believe the structure is in danger of collapsing but stressed repairs are needed soon.
“They don’t feel that it’s in a situation where it could collapse or anything,” Maldonado said. “But it is in a position where it really needs to be serviced pretty soon.”
Despite the structural concerns, Maldonado said inspectors did not find issues with water quality. Lead testing was also conducted due to the age of the tower’s original coating, but no contamination was detected.
“At this time, there’s no real issue with water quality,” Maldonado said. “That was great news for us.”
City officials were presented with two primary options: rehabilitate the existing 0.3 million-gallon water tower at an estimated cost of $2.3 million, or replace it with a new 0.5 million-gallon tower for nearly $8 million. Maldonado said replacement is not financially feasible at this time.
“The recommendation was really that we build a new water tower,” Maldonado said. “But unfortunately, the cost is around $8 million, and we’re really not in a position to do that right now.”
Instead, the city plans to move forward with rehabilitation using grant funding secured prior to Maldonado’s term in office, along with city reserves if additional costs arise. Maldonado said the city has maintained budget surpluses over the past two fiscal years to prepare for situations like this.
Maldonado also emphasized that residents should not expect water service interruptions during the rehabilitation process, citing upgrades to the city’s water system that allow the tower to be taken offline temporarily.
“We’ll be able to take the water tower offline while the work is being done, and we’ll still be able to provide service to the community,” Maldonado said.
A more detailed presentation on the water tower’s condition and rehabilitation options is expected during the Odem City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 3.
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