NAMPA, Idaho — The City of Nampa is cutting up the old, steel water tower for recycling. But, they're saving one piece.
- The city wants to keep the "N" from "Nampa" for a future project.
- The tank contains 75 tons of steel
- All the steel will be recycled
- The recycling effort will help defray the cost of demolition
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Like giant, metal eating termites, working to the beat of a concrete smasher, work crews are slowly cutting and tearing the old Nampa water tower to pieces.
I asked, "what's it like to be up on that thing cutting?"
"It's pretty exciting, a lot. Of planning went into it. To see it all come down in a safe manner, it's an achievement for us," said Sabino Papasodaro, Construction Manager for JC Constructors.
As exciting as the toppling of the tower was, now the real work begins.
Torches get things started and soon a giant scissors-like device will be hooked to backhoe to cut through the steel-like the jaws of life cuts through a car.
And nothing will go to the landfill.
"75 tons of metal there about 160 bucks a ton. It cost quite a bit to take it down so it offsets the cost of demolition," said Jeff Barnes, Director of Water Resources with the City of Nampa.
And if you think this is a quick hatchet job, think again. There's one part that they're being extra careful with.
"So we've asked them to save the N from the tank and they're cutting it out now so we get to preserve a little bit of history," said Barnes.
And that "N" is ten feet tall.
"Yeah, no easy little thing. No it's not it's not. But obviously this tank meant something to the City of Nampa and that's important to them so we want to keep that memory for them," Barnes added.
I asked the city what they plan to do with the "N" and they say they haven't decided yet. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, despite the water and mud, the work goes on to clear the site for the new tank to start construction in a few weeks.
