Strong winds helped reveal the mural on the city of Kent’s new 16-story West Hill water reservoir a bit earlier than planned.

Parts of a white plastic covering on the tower were blown off by a Nov. 4 wind.

“Yes, the plastic containment for the reservoir painting was damaged during the windstorm,” said City Public Works Director Chad Bieren in a Nov. 9 email. “One side of the plastic covering was blown off of the scaffolding that’s been used to paint the reservoir. The city’s contractor spent part of the day on (Nov. 5) collecting the plastic from the construction site and surrounding area. Parts of the nearly finished paint coating were scratched, and those will be spot repaired.”

Bieren said it was almost time to remove the plastic, which provided a more controlled environment for painting the reservoir.

“As it turns out, the plastic was scheduled to be removed starting Nov. 14, so there are no additional costs,” Bieren said.

The contractor’s crews will remove the plastic and the scaffolding in the next couple of weeks since most of the painting is done.

“Any necessary paint repairs will be made before the reservoir is completed by the contractor and accepted by the city as a completed project,” Bieren said.

The reservoir is at a former small city park (Kronisch Park) at 24731 38th Ave. S., near Military Road South. Several large trees were removed to make room for the tower. The city closed a pedestrian path on the south side of tank site during construction. The Public Works Department will reopen the path when construction is complete.

The city awarded an $8.5 million bid to Anacortes-based T Bailey Inc. to build the reservoir. Construction started in March 2021. The project will be paid for from the city’s water utility fund, covered by ratepayer fees.

The contractor paid Spokane artist Rolf Goetzinger $75,638 to paint the mural featuring trees and Mount Rainier. A city selection committee chose the proposal by Goetzinger. He is part of artistbrothers.com with his brother Peter Goetzinger, who lives near Sandpoint, Idaho. The artists have painted water tower murals in several states, including Washington locations in Federal Way, Puyallup, Silverdale, Bothell, Toledo and other sites.

The reservoir will provide the water storage necessary for fire services and to meet the growth needs of the area over the next couple of decades, according to the Public Works Department. It addresses a water storage deficiency on the West Hill to ensure that businesses and residents have adequate water supply during peak usage times and that there is sufficient water available to fight fires.

“We’re excited to have the reservoir ready for operation, it fulfills a need for additional water storage on the West Hill for many years to come,” Bieren said.

The reservoir is expected to be in operation during the first quarter of 2023, Bieren said.