CAMDEN — Maine Water's 110 year-old water tank on Mountain Street, a utilitarian landmark in Camden, will be dismantled in October, making way for its replacement. The new tank, 102 feet tall and 38 feet in diameter, will be erected nearby, albeit lower on the hill so that the height of both tanks will be comparable.

"We're setting the stage for the next 100 years," said Maine Water Company Vice President of Operations Rick Knowlton. Maine Water is a subsidiary of the publicly-held Connecticut Water Company.

The new $1 million tank will be constructed of steel, and is expected to last a century, he said. Fisher Tank Co. builds the tanks, and will ship the new one in pieces to Camden. It will be painted a light blue, a "clear sky blue," according to the paint manufacturer, said Knowlton, and the same color as Maine Water's tanks in Thomaston and Warren.

The existing tank holds back-up water for Camden and Rockport villages, and for fire protection. The tank will hold a total of 865,000 gallons; the storage for the fire department is 540,000 gallons, said Knowlton. It is the only storage tank served from the main pipeline from Mirror Lake down Route 90 and into Camden.

The existing tank also requires a recoating and repainting every 20 years, a cost this year estimated at $200,000. Years ago, the recoating would have consisted of painters taking care of the job for several thousand dollars; however, given the presence of lead, environmental and labor regulations, the cost has dramatically increased.

The tank itself will cost $750,000. Additional infrastructure costs include rerouting piping, engineering and building a retaining wall, resulting in the $1 million price tag.

Maine Water secured a 30-year, low interest loan from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank through the state's Drinking Water Revolving Loan fund to finance the capital improvement. The interest rate will not be fixed until the first part of next year, said Knowlton, adding that it will be 2 percent less than average private bank rates.

The existing tank will stay full until the new tank is full, said Knowlton. Then it will be pulled down in October, cut into pieces and hauled away. The town of Camden received a sizable check for the project, with its $3,350 building fee.

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Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 706-6657.