Photo by B. Shakyaver
One item that emerged unexpectedly at South Huron Council’s budget meeting on Monday, (November 11), was the recoating of the Exeter Water Tower’s interior
The cost has skyrocketed since initial estimates, prompting questions from Councilor Ted Oke.
Infrastructure Manager Don Giberson revealed that since the the tower was built in 1974, while the exterior had undergone recoating, the interior had never been addressed.
Council’s Monday budget meeting was streamed on Youtube
In addition, the potential presence of lead-based coating, necessitates special precautions and disposal procedures.
Despite suspicions of lead-based coating due to the tower’s age, definitive confirmation would only come during the project. Giberson explained that discussions had considered draining the tower for testing, but the decision was made to incorporate testing during the tower’s scheduled service outage.
Councilor Oke inquired about the duration of the project, to which Giberson responded that the process could span several months. Fortunately, contingency plans, are in place to mitigate service disruptions.
Mayor George Finch expressed gratitude for Giberson’s foresight in ensuring the town’s water system’s security during the recoating process – making sure many years ago that the Huron Park Water Tower was in place and up to the task.
Written by: B. Shakyaver