Boca Raton’s Two Water Towers to be Demolished

By: Michael Demyan

Photo Credit: City of Boca Raton and the Boca Raton Historical Society

Boca Raton currently has two remaining water storage towers standing which have been a part of the landscape since 1958, but they will not be there much longer as they will soon be demolished.

One of the steel towers is located on the corner of North Dixie Highway and Northeast 42nd Street, while the other is a little less than five miles down the road along Dixie, near Southeast 14th Street.

Allstate Tower Inc. will be handling the process of tearing them down after a $154,000 deal was made with them last year. They will begin with the south tower before moving onto the one farther north. Those who live near or pass by the north tower during their commute could expect some road closures.

The demolition will have no effect on the city’s water since the giant structures have actually been left unused for over a decade. If you are also planning a construction project that requires an old structure to be demolished, you may need to work with a demolition services contractor.

Workers will begin the process on both of the 138 foot tall structures by cutting the tanks at the top before removing the separated portions with a crane. They were replaced by new Remko water pumps which have made them no longer necessary.

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Back when they were still being used, the towers were able to carry 500 million gallons of clean water. The water was pumped into the Water Tank Mixing Unit at the top where it rested until needed. When the city needed water, gravity was used to create natural water pressure and the water flowed back down to reach its destination.

In order to have that high water pressure, the towers need to stand taller than the buildings receiving the water, otherwise there would not be enough pressure to reach floors at the top of tall buildings. This makes the towers a prime target for anyone wanting to go for a climb.

Barbed wire fences surround both water towers, however there is still a chance someone could trespass and attempt to climb them, putting themselves in serious danger of falling.

The city sent people out to survey the area on Tuesday, Feb. 21 and Allstate Tower Inc. was expected to start the following week, but they were actually able to begin a little earlier.

“The workers have begun,” city communications manager Chrissy Gibson said.

They are estimating the task of tearing down the towers will take about three weeks. Unlike most building demolitions, the dismantling of the towers will take some time since it will be taken apart rather than simply being destroyed.

After that demolition is completed, there are currently no plans for the land, which will be left empty.