Arvada's Landmark Olde Town Water Tower Lights Up Again

ARVADA, CO — The Olde Town Water Tower is about to get a lot more patriotic, thanks to its new, fancy lighting system. Since the old system failed in September 2018, the city has been working on a replacement. The new lights will celebrate special occasions, and starting July 1, the tower will celebrate the Fourth of July with a red, white and blue tower at night.

The new lighting system will also save energy — it uses just 16 LED lights at only 50 watts per fixture for a total average usage of just 240 kWh per month.

When it was built in 1910, the tower first functioned for very utilitarian purposes — water storage. It later became a navigational tool for people unfamiliar with the area to locate the heart of Arvada. Today it stands as Arvada's most recognizable and photographed landmark.

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The tower is 152 feet tall, 42 feet high and 25 feet in diameter. It is supported by six columns arranged in a hexagonal pattern. When in use, it held 150,000 gallons of water. It was decommissioned in 1977, and fell into disrepair.

About two decades ago, Arvada Urban Renewal temporarily took ownership of the site removing the fence and cleaning up the base. The water tower was inspected to ensure proper structural integrity and then redesigned, restored and painted. Accessibility to the tower and a pocket park were added, presenting the park and unique plaza beneath the tower along with the great views of the mountains as a gathering place for weddings, picnics and photo opportunities.

In 2006, AURA returned the water tower parcel to the City of Arvada to ensure its preservation. In 2015, the Tower got a facelift which included spot cleaning rust and rivets, construction of concrete retaining walls on the Tower’s base shoes, cleaning and painting all metal work, staining concrete and polishing the center platform.

Over the years, Arvada residents have taken photos of the landmark tower, which have been collected in a special online album.