COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Columbia has identified land near two public schools as its location for a new water tower. Columbia Public Schools' Long Range Facilities Planning Committee met Wednesday afternoon and one of the items listed on the agenda included a potential partnership with the city to allow water towers on school property.
Several city officials attended the meeting including Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman and City Manager De’Carlon Seewood. The city is hoping to build the tower near John Warner Middle School or Beulah Ralph Elementary School. During its presentation to the school district, city staff said that Beaulah Ralph Elementary is the most-desirable location, and the least-expensive.
Placing it at John Warner Middle School would require obtaining easements for distribution improvements, which may be time-consuming, city officials said. A new water tower in southwest Columbia was one of several projects included in a 2018 bond issue that voters passed. When the city opted to raise water utility rates in August, Julie Ryan, of the COMO Safe Water Coalition, criticized the City Council for failing to hold public utilities accountable for making little progress on the water tower and water treatment plant upgrades that she believes should have been completed three years ago.
According to Ryan, the city was supposed to have this new water tower built by 2021. The city said in August that it narrowed down locations for the wate.