By Rich Larson
The City of Northfield is moving forward with plans to construct a new water tower in the city’s northwest area, a project officials say will strengthen infrastructure and support future growth.
City leaders marked the next step in the project May 15 with a signing ceremony at City Hall alongside representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Following the ceremony, Mayor Erica Zweifel, city staff and Army Corps officials toured the site where the tower will be built.
The new water tower will hold 750,000 gallons of water, adding capacity to the city’s existing three towers, each of which holds 1 million gallons. The additional storage is expected to improve water system reliability, particularly in the northwest pressure zone.
Officials say the tower will also provide redundancy for Northfield Hospital and enhance fire protection in the surrounding area.
“This project is an important investment in Northfield’s future,” Zweifel said in a statement. “The new water tower will support continued growth and development in the northwest area of the city while strengthening the reliability and safety of our water system for residents, businesses and critical services.”
The Northfield City Council approved the agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers at its May 5 meeting. The city received $3,945,000 in federal funding to construct the tower.
Under the agreement, the Army Corps of Engineers will oversee construction, while the City of Northfield will manage the design and connection of the tower to the existing water system.
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
