April 14, 2016 – The Hilton water tower, sans antennae, awaits a cover so that exterior sandblasting can take place. The water tower, owned by the Village of Hilton, is leased to the Monroe County Water Authority, who has the responsibility to maintain it. The 125 foot structure was installed in 1963 and cost approximately $65,000. The last time it was painted was about 25 years ago.June 4, 2016 – The shroud of Hilton. The water tower is encased with fabric over a skeleton of scaffolding. The shroud contained the debris resulting from sandblasting the surface to remove the old paint. The interior was also sandblasted and required three different coatings on its surface.June 16, 2016 – The shroud is off, revealing the scaffolding that held it up and the tower’s prime coat of paint.June 30, 2016 – The white exterior coating consists of two coats of epoxy paint and a polyurethane overcoat. Painting was done using a roller. The exterior required 300 gallons of paint, the interior required 660 gallons of paint.July 7, 2016 – The Hilton water tower, sans antennae, displays its completed attractive re-surfacing and features an apple in place of the O in Hilton, which gives the tower a distinctive appearance. The 1.1 million dollar project had a budget of 4,500 man hours. With appropriate maintenance, the new surface should last 20 years.
