Windsor’s water tower is here to stay

By: Mandy Matthews

Paint chips have replaced this year’s autumn leaves for Windsor residents living on Benjamin Avenue.

The water tower in the area is the only one in Windsor and paint chips are flaking off the 58-year-old structure and landing in neighbourhood yards. The water tower helps control water pressure for the city of Windsor. The 41 metre tall structure was built in the 1950s and hasn’t been touched since the late 1980s. Last year the Windsor Utilities Commission brought the water tower up to safety standards. This year they partnered with the University of Windsor to use their new technology to help extend the life of the tower.

According to the University’s website, scientists developed a low-pressure cold spray containing a powder mix of zinc, aluminium and ceramic materials that is being painted on the tower. Barbara Peirce Marshall, manager of corporate communications and public relations for Enwin utilities said they are using the product on welding around the repair patches.

The partnership between Enwin and the university is among many the company has with other partners across North America. According to Marshall, the water tower is an important asset to WUC and they will repair it at all costs.

“Rather than replace an asset, if we can extend its life that is always a benefit to the community,” said Marshall.

The holding tank, which fills to more than four million litres, hasn’t been filled for the past six weeks and will not be filled for another six weeks. In case of emergency, the tower could provide running water to the city for 15 minutes. If this was divided evenly among residents, each person would receive 30 litres of water. On average, that would be enough for one shower, four toilet flushes and one load of dishes. The production maintenance supervisor for WUC, Glen Bondy, said the water tower is part of the water supply system for the whole city.

“It’s a pressure gage above the water system. All that water sitting up there is directly connected to pipes and it feeds all the water in the city,” said Bondy. “If there is more pressure due to people turning on more taps or less pressure when people use less water, then the elevated tank buffers up and down slowly.”

He said the city pumps out 50 to 70 pounds of water per square inch. Major appliances used by residents require around 20 to 30 PSI. Comparatively, an average swimming pool holds 95,000 litres of water. The tower can hold 45 times that amount. Bondy said the highest pressure times during the year are in the summer months between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Home owner Chris Banwell said his family does not use a lot of water throughout the day, but more between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The red brick house with a burgundy painted porch is located four houses down from the water tower and has been occupied by Banwell, his wife and their two teenagers for 13 years.

Although he lives next to the water tower, Banwell said he admits to not knowing what it is for, but has seen many things Windsorites may not have.

“I’ve seen a couple occasions when there has been a bad storm, water shot out of the ground,” said Banwell. “I have woke up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and firemen were training. They repel from the top. It was weird to see the first time.”

Construction started in July and is expected to end with a fresh coat of white paint by the end of September. During the drought of 1961 the water tower was painted with the message, “use water wisely.” That message will be painted over. Bondy said they have received complaints from residents asking “when are you going to paint the tower?” He said they will not be painting on a new logo.

However, Banwell said he thinks the county name should be painted at the top.

“Usually when you go through small towns, that’s what you see on water towers,” said Banwell.

While water towers were once an iconic image in most towns and cities, many are disappearing. In some places they are being converted into apartments or being placed on the list of world heritage sites.