Jansen Decides To Drop Water Tower Cleaning Contract

By Gordon HopkinsThe Village Board of Jansen has opted to let the contract with Viking Industrial Painting for annual maintenance to the village’s water tower lapse. However, that does not mean Viking will not be providing those services in the future.Viking was the company that painted the Jansen water tower in 2020. The village then contracted with Viking for water tower maintenance. According to the contract, which was signed in 2021, Viking is obligated to clean the water tower every other year. “Beginning in 2022, and every other year thereafter, the tank will be completely drained and cleaned to remove and properly dispose of all sediment and other accumulations that might be harmful to the tank or its contents. The tank interior will be rinsed using high-pressure wash equipment. Any necessary coating touch up will be done at time of cleaning to extend coating life. The Company will furnish relief valves, if needed, to install in the water system so the Owner can pump direct to maintain water pressure while the tank is being serviced.”For this service, Viking was to be paid $8,065 annually. However, the full cleaning did not happen until this year. Different reasons were given has to why the cleaning could not happen in prior years.According to an inspection report from Viking in 2022, “On October 11, a crew with Viking Industrial Painting (VIP) conducted a Visual Inspection of the Village of Jansen, NE elevated water storage tank. The tank was scheduled for a clean-out and inspection in 2022 but Village was unable to drain so it was agreed upon to perform a visual inspection. The tank was refurbished in 2020 and State requires Clean-out every 5 (five) years. Clean-out is rescheduled for 2023.”No explanation was provided as to why the water tower could not be drained in 2022.In 2023, Viking was scheduled to clean the tower on Thursday, October 19. Again, the water tower could not be drained. This time, the cause was a faulty valve.The full cleaning was finally completed on Thursday, October 17, 2024. The village board discussed the contract at a meeting on Monday, November 11. At that meeting, board member Janene Russell noted that, after the cleaning was completed, noted, “How little settlement was in there (the water tower).”Jansen clerk Kara Pecot noted the state only required the tower to be fully drained once every five years, “And that’s the only kind of inspection the state requires.”Based on that and the minimal sediment found after the cleaning this year, the board decided cleaning every two years as stipulated in the Viking contract was unnecessary. Instead, the board decided to hire a company to drain and clean the tower as the need arises, rather than keeping an ongoing contract.Board Chair Carol Ellis said, “We’ll at least consult with them about setting up in five years to have them do it again.”

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