Water tower will not be built next to Beulah Ralph Elementary School
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Editor's Note: The lede has been corrected.
A proposed water tower will not be built by Beulah Ralph Elementary School in Columbia.
According to an email from Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark, the Columbia Board of Education decided not to sell the land near the schools to the City of Columbia. Baumstark said the city was notified of the board’s decision last week.
The city had proposed the location near the schools for a water tower. A new water tower in southwest Columbia was one of several projects included in a 2018 bond issue that voters passed.
Residents of the Thornbrook neighborhood had made their displeasure known about the location of the tower during meetings in December.
That area has faced many water issues over the years including water advisories and low water pressure. The Thornbrook subdivision experienced three water boil advisories in the span of two weeks in November 2023, according to previous reporting. Concerns about water usage in the area have persisted.
City Utilities spokesman Jason West told ABC 17 News in an email that other options have previously been discussed, but the next step is to secure a location for the tower.
