A stop work order from Peachtree

City officials in 2000 has left the city's original water tank with

a partially-finished paint job.

Since the action from the city,

county water officials have neglected to finish the exterior paint job,

which has no effect on the quality of water stored in the tank. The stop

work order ceased activity on the smaller water tank which was being performed

Now, county water officials

are wondering if they should now sell the tank. The 250,000-gallon tank,

the smallest in the county, was built in 1965, said Tony Parrott, director

of the Fayette County Water System.

The old water tank is easy

to spot in the shadow of a much larger tank located near The Avenue shopping

center.

The water system has three

other water tanks which store 2 million gallons each. Officials don't

see a need to keep the tank on the system forever with newer and larger

storage options on line.

The city issued a stop work

order for the tiny water tank back in 2000 because dust from the sandblasting

was landing on businesses in the Huddleston Road area, according to city

spokesperson Betsy Tyler. The city required extra equipment to be used

on the larger tank when it was repainted, but the paint job on the smaller,

older tank was left incomplete.

"In one way I agree we

ought to take it down," said water committee chairman Chuck Watkins.

"But it irks me the way it was handled."

The exterior paint work on

the small tank was nearly completed when the stop work order was issued,

water officials said.

If the county commission decides

to sell the tank, it could possibly do so on Ebay, the internet auction

site, suggested County Attorney Bill McNally. Otherwise it is estimated

to cost the county $25,000 to have the tank removed, and it's likely

such that contractor would refurbish the tank and then re-sell it to another

municipality, officials said.

Parrott will discuss the possible

sale/auction of the water tank with county officials and report