ARANSAS PASS (Kiii News) — When Hurricane Harvey hit Aransas Pass, it toppled over the city's water tower releasing half-a-million gallons of water.
Currently, the city has to rely on their groundwater storage, and that has caused some problems.
Residents can see the cement bases in the ground where the water tower used to stand, and it is just a grassy lot. The City of Aransas Pass is working to change the lot.
According to City Manager Gary Edwards, the design for a new water tower is currently being reviewed by the state, and the next step is for it to be approved by FEMA.
"We want it immediately, it's important that that tower be up, we can avoid the problem like this," Edwards said.
The problem Edwards refers to is the water boil in effect for Aransas Pass.
Since Aransas Pass have to use the ground storage water electric pumps, have to be used to get the water to people's homes, but if there is a power outage the pumps stop working, and a water boil has to go in effect as a safety precaution.
Edwards said when you have a water tower you don't have to worry about using electric pumps.
"That elevation using gravity allows pressure to be put into the water and in the lines to go to the homes," Edwards said.
The estimated value of the water tower is $1.4 million, but the city would only have to pay 10 percent of the cost.
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