2022 will say goodbye to the old water tower in Wanamingo. The city council approved the new water tower project and the construction will commence in the spring. The new quarter million-gallon structure will be erected south of the industrial park and be painted white with the new city logo on it. After the new water tower is operational the iconic silver tower as well as the structure north of town will be dismantled. The cost for the new water tower and removal of the two existing structures will be about $1,270,000. There will be additional costs for the new pump houses to be built. Discussion of lighting for the new tower may be in the future as the estimates are expected to exceed $50,000. Efforts to salvage the old tower and relocate it to another site by a private party are questionable because of the cost involved.
The 40,000 gallon Wanamingo water tower was built in 1926 and was also the site of a plane crash in 1930. The pilot and two friends took off from a field in what is now the Industrial Park. As they gained altitude into the northwest breeze the plane struck the water tower. The gray color of the water tower as well as the plane’s design which obstructed a direct forward view for the pilot, were likely causes of the crash. Three, twenty-four year old men, lost their lives that afternoon in the crash. A dent in the water tower tank is still visible from the collision.
The budget for 2022 has been approved and the levy will show an increase of 6.5%. New house construction and commercial building improvements in the last year have helped to keep overall real estate tax increase to about 5%.
