Iconic Cocoa water tower to be repainted

COCOA, Fla. – Work is underway to strip and repaint the iconic 156-foot-tall Cocoa water tower.

The elevated tank, which sits near the intersection of U.S. 1 and State Road 520 was built in 1957 and holds up to 1.5 million gallons.

"It's beloved and near and dear to many people as a landmark," said Jack Walsh, City of Cocoa Utilities Director.

A tarp is now surrounding the entire water tower and crews are sandblasting to strip the existing paint and rust. Once that's finished, they'll begin repainting a total of three coats.

"We strip it down so we can check the metal, make sure it's working and is structurally sound," said Walsh. "We also paint and protect it for the next 10 to 15 years."

When it's all said and done, 800 gallons of paint later, a new logo will appear, but Old Glory will remain, though just a little bit small.

City officials said the project will cost more than $800,000 and they're hoping it will be completed by late March or early April.