Overview:
The Kenosha Water Utility (KWU) provides high quality Lake Michigan drinking water to the City of Kenosha, areas in the Village of Pleasant Prairie, the Town of Somers, and the Town of Bristol. Due to anticipated growth west of Interstate 94, and plans for a 100-acre commercial development in this area, KWU retained Ruekert/Mielke to evaluate the size and location of a new, elevated water storage facility to serve a second booster zone. Ruekert/Mielke designed and administrated the construction contract of the 158- foot tower, 750,000 gallon water tower. This highly visible water tower will serve the residential and commercial demands of the vicinity for many years to come.
Unusual Facts:
Since the average life of a water tower is 100 years, care in its construction is of utmost importance. A water tower is usually filled from the bottom up, but it can also be filled from the top down to disperse excessive dissolved gasses that may be in the water. The most important use of the pressurized water created by the elevated tank is to accommodate peak usage days, such as hot days in summer, or for use during fires. The stem has an interior ladder so that a utility worker can climb all the way to the top of the ball from the inside (with stops at intermediate platforms) to perform routine maintenance.
Water towers need to be painted about every 15 years – and, yes, the interior of the ball is also painted. They are designed to withstand 100-mph winds. In a nod to modern technology, water towers are now outfitted in advance with cell phone antenna hook-ups. There is approximately 448,400 lbs of steel used in the Kenosha tower.