By Bobbie Lehrmann, Assistant Director Public Communications
We’re used to thinking big in College Station. Whether cheering for the Aggies or celebrating our community’s unique landmarks, we tend to do things on a larger scale.
A prime example is our recently refurbished water tower at William D. Fitch Parkway and State Highway 6. This month, paint supplier Tnemec conducted a nationwide contest to determine the Tank of the Year. Out of more than 300 water towers, the company chose 11 finalists, including the eye-catching Greens Prairie tower, and public voting began.
Last week, the distinctive tower was announced as the official winner of the prestigious People’s Choice Tank of the Year award. Tnemec proclaimed it a “massive work of art.”
Tnemec, known for its high-performance coatings, has been running the contest since 2006, displaying water tanks from hundreds of cities to find the fan favorite. And while we know it’s just a 3-million-gallon tank of pure, clean water, the Greens Prairie tower is now a canvas highlighting our community pride.
The new design was brought to life by Dunham Engineering as part of a required tower rehabilitation project. Our Public Communications team created the design as a tribute to College Station’s skyline using our community’s favorite color, maroon. Adding the unique mural was a fraction of the overall $2 million cost paid through the Water Fund, not by taxpayers.
The snapshot of our city’s landmarks features Kyle Field, Rudder Tower, and the Albritton Bell Tower on the Texas A&M campus, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, the Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater, and the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial.
But we didn’t stop there.
We also depicted the old Greens Prairie Water Tower, which welcomed northbound travelers for 30 years. Putting a water tower on the water tower honors the old tank with a self-reverential, tongue-in-cheek touch.
Winning the People’s Choice award means more than just bragging rights. It reflects our residents’ affection for the city and the pride we take in the details that make us, well, us.
So, the next time you drive down Highway 6 or Fitch Parkway, appreciate that College Station’s newest landmark isn’t designed only to hold water — it also honors our history with a good dose of creativity and amusing irony.
After all, only in College Station would we paint a water tower on a water tower.
About the Blogger
Bobbie Lehrmann is in her second year as assistant director of public communications. She previously served as marketing and communications director for the City of Navasota. Lehrmann lived most of her life in Australia and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media communications from Queensland University of Technology.
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