LEESBURG, Fla. – The Leesburg water tower off US-27 is being taken down, piece by piece.
"We're cutting it from the top down, using a crane to very carefully lower the pieces to the ground," said Robert Sargent, a city spokesperson.
The 135-foot tower has been up since 1983, but Sargent says it's time for it to go.
"The tower will continue to require maintenance until eventually it gets so bad that it will have to be taken down," he said.
[PICS: Leesburg tower]
The tower is not being used- the city's new $2 million water treatment plant, which sits beside the tower, went live last month.
Longtime Leesburg resident Kathleen Eisenhuth says she's not sad to see the tower go.
"When its gone it's gone, you forget it like other things," she said.
All of the metal from the water tower, about 70 tons- will be recycled to off-set the cost of taking the tower down, which is $12,000.