Bullet Causes $3,400 in Damages to City Water Tower
Damage from a bullet hole that struck one of the city's elevated water towers during a Dunedin man's pre-dawn shooting spree in December, not only caused a 550,000-gallon leak, but cost $3,400 in repairs.
A single bullet hole that leaked 550,000 gallons of reclaimed water from a Dunedin reservoir is repaired and back in operation, city officials report.
A man, armed against coyotes, went on an allegedly drunken, pre-dawn shooting spree at Dunedin Golf Club striking the 200-foot water tower near Curlew Road on Dec. 11.
"Fortunately, the tank was mostly full when the bullet penetrated it," Tom Burke, city engineer, wrote in an email to Dunedin Patch. "The stored water apparently helped to dissipate the bullet’s energy and prevented other damage within the tank."
Burke said that after staff learned of the damages, an emergency work order was placed and awarded to Utility Service Co., Inc., the same Perry, GA, company that repainted both of Dunedin’s elevated tanks several years ago.
The specialty contractor arrived on Dec. 27 and completed the repair on the same day.
Burke said the contractor had to go inside the tank to locate the bullet hole, weld and re-coat the area and reseal it from the inside. The contractor also inspected the exterior and found no need for other repairs.
"The tank has remained in continuous service since then," Burke said.
The city paid $3,400 to repair the hole, Burke said.
Reclaimed water staff adjusted their operations so customers would be served from three other working tanks while the one on Curlew Road was out of service.
Dunedin Golf Club is the primary customer served by the Curlew Road tank, according to city officials.
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Merrill
11:50 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013
I certainly hope this moron is billed for his damages, the water he wasted as well as the cost of all the labor that went into the repairs, his arrest, etc....
Donna Moore
2:41 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
You know what....people make mistakes. I personally know him and he is the most kind and thoughtful person I know. He actually saved someone's life on the golf course but no one ever mentioned that did they.