Iconic Hebron water tower to receive overdue repairs

A $361,000 maintenance project on the village of Hebron’s iconic water tower began Tuesday, Village President Kimmy Martinez said.

Martinez said that besides the repainting of the stem of the tower, village officials advised her that no other major maintenance work has been done on the 32-year-old structure.

“The maintenance of the water tower is of the utmost importance because this is our drinking water,” Martinez said.

Work will include repairs to rusted areas, the replacement of a tank manway door and the addition of two features Martinez said should have been included in the original design: a failsafe vent and an overflow pipe extension.

Regular maintenance also will be performed every five years.

“You have to maintain equipment to keep it running as long as possible and keep it in good condition, as well as catching any [problems] early,” Martinez said.

She added that the preservation of the tower’s basketball motif, which commemorates the village’s 1952 state champion boys basketball team, was very important to citizens and will cost about $30,000.

Because cell antennas need to temporarily be removed from the tower, Martinez said some residents may experience interruptions in their internet service. However, residents are welcome to come to the village’s administrative offices at 12007 Prairie Ave. during normal business hours to access a Wi-Fi connection.

The village budgeted $390,000 for the project, but the winning bid came from Joliet-based Tecorp Inc. for $348,500.

An additional $12,500 also was needed for portable tanks while the upgrades are performed.

In an upcoming village newsletter, Martinez said she will be seeking resident input on where to invest the remaining $29,000, which is contingent on whether the project stays on budget.

The two options would be to invest in the city’s aging water mains, some of which are more than 50 years old, or to pay toward the principal amount of an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan the village acquired to pay for its sewer treatment plant.

[ The village recently raised its water and sewer rates and added a debt service charge to residents’ bills.  ]

Martinez said anyone with concerns can call the village office at 815-648-2353.