The River Falls Town Council agreed this week to enter into a maintenance contract with U.S. Tank.

Jim Morris of the company said that they just finished performing a wash out and inspection of the tank.

Morris told the council that the water tank needed an interior and exterior paint job.

He said that if the town paid for the exterior tank job it would cost $38,650, and if they entered into the a maintenance plan U.S. tank would take care of the interior under the maintenance program.

“The maintenance program covers anything on the tank,” Morris aid. “The next paint job will already be paid for. You won’t have to come up with $40,000 or $80,000.”

Morris said that with the program, the tank pretty much belongs to them.

The maintenance program will cost the town $9,646 for the first year with a maximum increase of 3 percent.

Mayor Patricia Gunter said she certainly wasn’t surprised that the tank needs work.

The tank has not been painted since it was built in 2003.

“Fortunately, it’s not too bad,” Morris said. “That’s why the price is so good.”

Morris told the town that if they didn’t go with the maintenance plan that it would cost them an additional $40,000 for the interior paint job.

He said there is some work that needs to be done with the venting and with the piping in the float system.

Morris said that they expect to paint tanks every eight years on the outside and every 10-12 years on the inside.

Additionally, he said they would perform a washout every three years.

Councilmember Harold Barnes asked how much the average upkeep was for a tank.

“It’s normally not a lot of maintenance,” Morris said. “But you could find something wrong.”

Morris told the council that if they waited much longer, they the exterior of the tank would need to be blasted to the bare metal.

Gunter said she thought the town should be proactive instead of reactive.