By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Work to remediate the existing lead paint and then repaint the exterior of the one million gallon water tower in Hays began Sunday.

The tower next to Sternberg Museum, 3000 Sternberg Dr., was built in 1972 and recoated in 1997. According to city staff, the tower is flaking paint, an environmental concern, and requires a “full blast” to remove the paint and lead.

A low bid of $528,500 was awarded June 14 by the Hays city commission to Maguire Iron, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The bid also includes repainting of the 500,000 gallon water tower north of Hays on Highway 183. The north tower was built in 1994. The exterior paint, which does not contain lead, is fading and requires an overcoat.

The Sternberg tower will first be draped to keep lead dust contained. Workers will then sand down the tower, remove all the lead paint, contain it, remove it off-site, and finally, repaint the tower.

Engineers Bartlett & West will provide inspection services for both towers for $28,500.

The project will be paid from the Water Capital Reserve fund.

Fort Hays State University will pay for updating its Sternberg Museum of Natural History logo as part of the project. The “All America City” logo, added after Hays won that designation in 1996, will be removed.

Hays artist Dennis Schiel talked to the city commission March 1 about painting a historical mural on the Sternberg tower after it is repainted. He is in the process of soliciting funds for that project.

The Sternberg work is expected to take about six weeks to complete, depending on the weather. According to Jeff Crispin, director of water resources, crews may be working irregular hours and at night if wind conditions are not favorable during typical business hours.

Customers may notice changes in their water pressure system during the scope of the project, Crispin noted, which is to be completed by December 31.