$6 million renovation underway at Louisville Water Tower on River Road

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A $6.2 million renovation is underway at the Louisville Water Tower on River Road.

Crews are already putting scaffolding in place to begin replacing metal on the outside of the building. The wood is also being replaced inside of the tower to prevent moisture buildup.

Water Tower Park is a national historic landmark that also serves as a venue space for events and weddings. But the facility is 162 years old and showing its age.

The renovation project will be done in three phases and will include repairs to the pump station, according to Kelley Dearing Smith from the Louisville Water Company.

"We are repairing pieces inside. We are updating the waterworks museum which tells the story of Louisville's drinking water and we are adding an acoustic system. People rent this facility for weddings and special events and it will be a much better experience when we are done with the project," Dearing Smith said.

Plans include updates to the interior and exterior including repainting the facility, adding sound-proofing to the Grand Hall, fixing drainage issues, building a new dressing area and adding storage.

The final phase will include putting 10 statues back on the building. The statues are of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses are being restored in Washington, D.C.

The 185 feet tall tower is no longer operatonal for water production, but it is an iconic landmark along the Ohio River. The tower was built in 1860 for the original water works. The tower encloses a standpipe that helped control the force of giant steam engines that pulled water from the Ohio River for Louisville Water’s operations.

The Water Tower also underwent a restoration in 1890 when a tornado toppled the shaft of the then-wooden structure. It crushed much of the brick base of the balustrade. Only two of the statues survived. The tower was rebuilt with cast iron.

During the restoration, the WaterWorks Museum is also getting updates with interactive components. The museum will continue to do virtual education events during the project.

The project is scheduled to be done in April 2023.