Light on West Allis water tower goes out, but the fix is more involved than you might think

The beacon light on top of one of West Allis' two water towers has gone out.

You're probably thinking the solution is easy: just change the lightbulb. Although the fix seems simple, replacing the bulb on top of the tower is not an easy process, according to the City of West Allis.

The beacon light on top of the water tower near 84th and National went out sometime in mid-March, according to Karyn Rittenhouse, water systems manager for the City of West Allis. The 180-foot tower was built in the 1990s.

According to Rittenhouse, when a bulb on top of one of the towers goes out, it is simply changed during routine checks. However the type of bulb used on top of this tower has been discontinued, which means the city needs to change the entire fixture.

"Crews are aware and are working on replacing the fixture and bulb," the City of West Allis said on its official Facebook page. "Repairs may take up to a few months as we run studies and gain clearance from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)."

Some Facebook users said in the comments that they were confused as to why changing the bulb would take so long, which prompted an update from West Allis on the original post.

"The light bulbs are incredibly easy to change and that has been done many times since we built the 180-foot tower in the 90s," the update said.

But since the fixture is being changed, the city said the process requires an FAA aeronautical study. "Once that study is completed, then we will install the type of fixture and bulbs whether they are required by the FAA or not."

Why the process to change the light on the tower will take some time

Because the light bulbs for the tower are no longer made, the City of West Allis will have to dismantle and rebuild the entire fixture.

The tower is under 200 feet and previously did not need to meet requirements for the FAA, according to Rittenhouse. Those FAA guidelines changed in 2020, so both towers are now subject to aeronautical review. This includes the city's shorter tower on 116th and Rogers. Rittenhouse said the last study was done in 2019 and that the city requested a new study last week, but that it will take 45 days minimum before it's complete.

The type of light bulb is also a factor in the planning, according to Rittenhouse. The goal is for the city to replace the bulb with an LED light, but Rittenhouse noted that the light might have to be an infrared light to be seen by pilots who use night vision googles.

How do the water towers operate in the City of West Allis?

The water tower at 84th and National is a part of the city's water distribution system.

Water is supplied to West Allis from Milwaukee's Howard Avenue Water Treatment Plant, according to the City of West Allis website.

The water is supplied through two meter points and is then distributed to locations in the city through a maze of underground transmission and distribution mains and three reservoirs.

Two of the reservoirs are above the ground, the water tower at 84th and National and the water tower at 116th Street and Rogers Street. Both have a capacity of 1.5 million gallons. The third reservoir is located underground near 96th Street and Mitchell Street and has a capacity of 4 million gallons.

The city's Water Utility also provides water for firefighters and maintains the transmission and distribution system by aiding in repairing leaks and main breaks.

Contact Adrienne Davis at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.