An icon is gone. South Merced’s water tower is history. Here’s why it’s being dismantled

An iconic water tower that for decades has been a familiar sight to Highway 99 drivers passing through Merced is taking its final bow.

The tower at 511 West 12th Street was built in 1934 and its wells have been replaced a handful of times over the years, according to city documents.

The latest incarnation of the tower advertised the city as the home of UC Merced.

Although the tower has been a part of the city’s landscape for decades, it has been rendered obsolete and is no longer needed for Merced’s water supply system.

According to city documents, its continued use would be a nuisance to proper removal of the chemical Tetrachloroethylene/Perchloroethylene (PCE) from city’s groundwater.

PCE is an organic chemical introduced to the environment by human activity. Exposure can cause a variety of health effects including liver and kidney damage, headaches, dizziness, and skin irritation, according to the Environmental Pollution Centers.

Mayor Matt Serratto and many residents took to Facebook to express how they felt about the water tower being taken down.

“Very sorry to see this tower taken down, but unfortunately it was becoming a safety issue and an impediment to the proper functioning of our water system. Sad to see it go but regretfully it had to happen,” Serratto wrote.

Under the direction of the city staff, engineering firm Cardo Inc. are conducting demolition work on the tower, which continues this week.

A bid of $274,500 was awarded to the company for the removal of the water tower.