Calling all artists: Improve the look of the Sault's water tower

The 4th Avenue water tower in Sault Ste. Marie was built in 1969. It is the city’s third oldest water tower and has a capacity of 750,000 gallons.

It services the largest area of the city including the east side of town along Portage Avenue and Riverside Drive, the downtown district, and the west side of town all the way to the end of Bermuda Avenue. If your business or residence is below Ashmun Hill, it is most likely serviced by the 4th Avenue tower.

However, the water tower's look needs help.

And that's where city water director Kirk Tews and city manager Brian Chapman teamed up to look at a plan.

"When discussing paint color schemes, we came across the Tnemec Paint’s Water Tower of the Year Contest. That gave us the idea to open up a design contest to the public and ask for ideas from the community," Tews said.

Water towers are a fixed asset that is highly visible in the community. Essentially, they are a billboard for the community.

"The hope of this design contest is to engage the community and proudly display a piece of what makes Sault Ste. Marie 'The Soo'. Not only does the tower serve the community as a water asset, but it will also be a focal point to celebrate our community," Tews added.

As for who will actually paint the water tower, it is anticipated bidding to occur in January after the design and engineering are completed. If all goes as planned, Tews said the tower could be painted in the summer of 2024.

Unfortunately, the tower is a public owned asset, so a a monetary prize can not be made available. While there is no monetary prize, the value is showing off your idea in a big way.

"The ultimate prize is that the winning design will be proudly displayed on the water tower until the next painting project. This is truly a prize because water towers in our area are only painted on average every 20-25 years," continued Tews.

The design contest is open to anyone. The city is looking for designs that incorporate the spirit of the Soo. The whole tower is open for consideration including the legs. Designs can be an elaborate work or art or a simple paint scheme with a logo.

"It will be interesting to see what designs the community comes up with and it will be very exciting to see the finished product," concluded Tews.

Submissions will be accepted until Dec. 15. Submissions may be dropped off at city hall or emailed to the water director at [email protected].