NAMPA, Idaho — The City of Nampa tore down its water tower. The tower is being replaced by a new 1.5 million-gallon tank.
- New tank will be concrete
- 46 feet tall
- 80 feet in diameter
- $8.2 million
- Finished by spring of 2025
- Previous water tower was nearly 50 years old
- WATCH | Video of the Nampa Water Tower Demolition
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
An I-84 landmark is gone.
The water tower has greeted passengers through Nampa for about 50 years.
"I've driven by it many, many times over the 36 years I've lived here but I don't know why they're tearing it down," said Merry Schreffler of the Canyon County Historical Society.
That reason is because the tower has reached the end of its serviceable life.
The new tank will hold 1.5 million gallons. One million more than the previous.
The new tank will be concrete, 46 feet tall, 80 feet in diameter, with a price tag of $8.2 million and the city hopes to have it finished by Spring 2025.
Caryn Herman and Merry Schreffler hadn't seen what the new tank would look like before today.
"Oh, okay, yeah it looks like a tank."
"And then it has 'Nampa' on it which is great," they said.
Friday morning, Darrel Reisch came to visit the downed tower.
He was there when it was constructed and nearly got to choose its paint scheme with a bulldog on it.
"I was principal of Nampa High from '71 to '81. It's a very visible place and Nampa, home of the Bulldogs, there was only one high school then so it would have been a great idea. Nobody was against it, just I left," Reisch claimed.
But Darrell isn't sad to see it go, calling it progress.
Others in our Facebook comments aren't as enthusiastic citing its iconic landmark reputation.
I can relate! I always used the water tower as my landmark to go to work at the Idaho News 6 studio as well as my exit to go home.
