The town of Fort Frances will proceed with upgrades to its water tower.

The project is estimated to cost over $4 million.

A recent inspection identified deficiencies with the structure’s coating.

There have also been other repairs and failures that crews have had to address.

Councillor Mike Behan says it is something that needs to be addressed.

“I consider the water tower to be a piece of critical infrastructure that we need, and we have to fix it,” says Behan.

“That’s only the way it is. And as you look at your report, each year we put it off, it’s going to increase things exponentially,”

Operations and Facilities Manager Travis Rob reports that delaying this project would likely result in additional costs of $400,000 each year.

With the project carrying a hefty price tag, Councillor John McTaggart would have liked it carried over two budget years.

“I would like to suggest that administration come back to us with a way that this can be done over two budget cycles,” says McTaggart.

“It’s a huge project, and I would like to see it split up into two years. ”

The water tower was constructed in 1984 and stores 1,250,000 gallons of water.

During low flow periods, the tower provides water to the entire town without the need for pumping.

During high flow periods, the tower provides a source to handle any demands on the system or for fire protection in the event of an emergency.