8. SR 04-14-2008
Elk River ^"
Municipal Utilities
13069 Orono Parkway • PO. Box 430
Elk River, MN 55330-0430
March 21, 2008
To: Jerry Takle
President of Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission
From: Bryan Adams /~,~
General Manager IPIV~ ~
Subject: Jackson Street Water Tower
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Phone: 763.441.2020
Fax: 763.441.8099
This memo is in response to your requests for more information on the Jackson Street Water
Tower. At our March 2008 Ells River Municipal Utilities Commission meeting, we discussed the
future of this tower. We either need to paint this structure or remove it. The estimated cost to
remove this tower is in the $35,000 range. The estimated cost of repainting is in the $55,000 to
$60,000 range and will need to be spent on a 10 to 12 year inteival. Also by removing this tower
and pump house, this lot can be redeveloped.
Enclosed is the following information for your review.
1 j Picl:ure of this 100,000 gallon water tower.
2) Aerial view of Jackson Water Tower area.
This tower was constructed in 1920 by Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company and was the
beginnings of Elk River's Municipal water system. This tower and the "Cretex" water tawer,
which was demolished in 2002, have not been in use since approximately 1986. When the water
tower on Freeport Ave. was constructed in 1985, the Jackson Ave. and Cretex towers became
obsolete due to their height. In 1997, municipal well # 1 which is at the base of the Jackson Ave.
'M'ower was properly abandoned.
In 2002, Utility staff proposed the Jackson Ave. Tower be demolished. It was decided at that
time to mazket this tower as a place to attach telecommunication antennas. These mazketing
efforts have not been successful due to the towers' location and not being tall enough.
There is nothing unique about this structure. Still in rural America in the small communities,
many of these towers are still in use. Due to the smaller capacity and limited height, these
structures often do not meet today's fire flow and pressure needs for larger or growing
communities.