A local family says they feel like prisoners in their own home as debris from the Westlock water tower is falling onto their property.
Resident Sherry Laun, who lives adjacent to the tower on 106 Avenue, says recent rain and wind has caused large chunks of concrete to break off the tower and fall onto her property.
“The water tower shifts every now and then and it kind of feels like an earthquake — it shakes my whole house,” Laun said.
“In the spring, every year, we notice little pieces of concrete in our yard when the snow melts. They were little and it wasn’t a huge concern, but the last few times it has shifted and that’s when big, giant, chunks have been falling.”
The large chunks are a concern to Laun whose children aren’t allowed to play in the yard anymore.
“They’re big enough to kill one of my kids,” she said. “My kids are not allowed to play in my yard.”
While Laun is very concerned with the safety of her family, she is also concerned for other children who often play in the park adjacent to the tower.
“It’s not just my house, my yard, and my deck, but it also falls on the park,” she said. “There’s a fence around the water tower, but obviously it goes over the fence, and there’s no signs posted or anything.
“I just don’t think kids should be allowed near the water tower, period.”
CAO Dean Krause said Laun has made the town aware of the issue. Town staff have attended the property and noted that debris has in fact been falling off.
“Mrs. Laun phoned me on April 24 about the concern that she was saying portions of the water tower were coming off and falling onto her lawn,” Krause said. “We sent out our director of operations and what he observed was — the water tower actually has a coat of plaster or stucco around it — and that was deteriorating and it is coming off.”
With the tower slated for demolition on the next two or three years, Krause said an engineer will assess the situation and recommend a solution for the time being.
“We have consulted with our engineer that is designing the new reservoir and demolishing the existing tower. He will be out to find out the best way to contain that stucco,” he said.
“We are going to take some action, we just have to figure out the best way to do that. We want to ensure that Mrs. Laun’s property is safe.
“If there are high costs, we will have to go to council to get the funding, but we’re not anticipating too high of costs.”
Laun said the falling debris isn’t the first encounter she has had with the tower as water flooded her basement a couple years back. She said the town’s insurance provider told her nothing could be done to pay for the damage.
As far as damage is concerned from the falling material, Laun said there isn’t much, aside from some scrapes on the side of her house and possibly some damaged shingles.
“I haven’t gone up there yet, I don’t feel safe,” she said.
Looking to eventually sell her house, Laun said she’s waiting on the tower to be demolished before listing her property.
“I want to sell my house, I’ve wanted to sell my house for years, but with the water damage — and that’s not going to go away until the water tower is taken down — and then this stuff, I can’t in good conscience, put it on the market,” she said.
Laun said she’s growing frustrated with the water tower and would like to be able to use her property without fear.
“I’m the only resident in the town affected by this and I don’t think I’m a priority,” she said.
“I don’t want to sound moany, and I love my town, I’m just frustrated. I would like to be able to use my property, right now it’s not safe for my daughter to play outside and that’s huge problem for me.”
