After the city of New Bloomfield's 6-year-old water tower was drained, cleaned and inspected, the city's Board of Aldermen on Thursday night heard a maintenance firm representative tell them the tower is starting to deteriorate.
Joel Ogle, a representative of Utility Services Co., said his firm had contracted with the city to drain and clean the 150,000-gallon tank and found numerous problems.
Ogle showed the aldermen photos his firm took during the inspection and cleaning.
Ogle displayed photos showing mold starting to grow on the bottom of the tower and blanket rust on the tower's risers.
He also recommended the city replace a vent that no longer meets standards set by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. He showed photos of paint peeling away from the interior and exterior of the tower.
During the firm's inspection, it drained and cleaned the interior of the tank. It showed excessive biological growth inside the tank and corrosion in some areas.