An iconic structure along the Enterprise skyline came down Tuesday, when the 10-leg elevated water tower along Boll Weevil Circle was demolished.
“It’s a bittersweet day seeing that tank come down,” Enterprise Water Works Field Superintendent Alan Mahan said. “It has historical significance, but this 60-year-old tank coming down is a sign of the progress and growth in our city.”
The demolition project, led by Iseler Demolition, Inc. of Port Hope, Michigan, started around 6:30 a.m. The demolition crew began by removing one-inch pieces from four of the legs. Additional larger sections of the same four legs were then removed. The water tower was eventually pushed over by hydraulic jacks previously set in place under the back two “anchor legs” around 8:30 a.m.
Once the tower was tipped, manlifts were used to access taller portions of the tank. The steel was cut into manageable pieces and loaded onto waiting trailers. The material will be recycled or resold by Iseler demolition for scrap iron.
“The tank that came down could no longer serve the needs of Enterprise. It had to be replaced with a larger tank to keep up with the demand and growth of the city,” Mahan said.
The new water tower holds approximately 1.5 million gallons of water, three times the water as the old water tower. Mahan said when the old tank was built in 1961, it was built in an area primarily used by cotton and peanut farmers. The tank was the first rural water tower away from Main Street.