This concrete block building was constructed near the base of the water tower after the city water system was completed for Lovilia residents in 1957. While the building now exclusively is used for the water system, a portion of the building was originally used to store fire equipment. It also housed the city hall for several decades.
City water service was introduced to residents of the unincorporated Marion County town of Tracy on August 30, 1967. A well was drilled and pump house constructed at the Marion/Mahaska county line east of the community, with water piped to pictured water tower.
When the Howard County town of Elma was established in 1886, water facilities consisted of private wells and cisterns. In 1914, a contract was signed with Des Moines Bridge & Iron Company for the construction of a water works system and tower for Elma. The 50,000 gallon tank sits on an 100-foot-tall steel trestle; a new well was connected to the tower in 1943.
When the original water tower was constructed in June 1913, the Boone County town of Luther was believed to be the smallest town in the state with a water system. The original wood water tower served the community for 40 years, at which time the current metal tower was constructed. In 1968, a grass fire spread to the wooden jacket at the bottom of the water tower tank, sending flames and smoke high into the air causing $2,500 in damage. Though the water tower stands today, it’s been unused since 1992 when new water lines were installed as part of the Xenia Rural Water District in nearby Woodward.
In 1899, the local parish granted a parcel of land to the town to construct a new water tower in the Dubuque County community of New Vienna. Built with a rock foundation, the tower featured a 30,000 gallon tank and a 200 feet deep well. The pump was originally powered by a windmill, which was removed in favor of an electric turbine. In 1983, a new steel tower was constructed via federal grant money, and the stone tower was abandoned with the exception of the well. The water tower is part of a district added to the National Register of Historical Places in 2000.