Rochelle’s recently-renovated and repainted water tower near the Illinois Route 251 overpass was recently nominated for Tnemec Company’s nationwide 2025 Tank of the Year contest.

Voting for the People’s Choice award took place Oct. 6-17 and a committee of water tank enthusiasts will choose 11 other finalists and consider them along with the People’s Choice to decide the official Tank of the Year, announced Oct. 24. The contest can be found online at tnemec.com/tank-of-the-year-2025.

City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Oct. 15 that the city and Rochelle Municipal Utilities were pleasantly surprised and humbled by the tower’s nomination for the contest.

“We put it out on our social media to get people to vote,” Fiegenschuh said. “It’s an honor to be considered. To have somebody nominate it because they’re so proud of our tower is great.”

The $1.2-million water tower project was completed in June. Along with renovation, the tower was repainted, incorporating the city’s new branding style with the Rochelle Township High School Hub mascot logo and the color purple.

The water tower’s paint scheme was voted on by members of the community on social media and the finished product has been well-received. The city recently changed its official color back to purple.

“The tower’s renovation and painting was one of the best projects I’ve been involved with,” Fiegenschuh said. “Because there was so much collaboration. Staff came up with a few ideas and we asked the public for input on Facebook through a poll and we asked the city council for input. There was a lot that went into picking that design. It truly was a collaborative approach between staff, elected officials and our residents. That makes me even more proud that it was nominated.”

The water tower, built in 1953, is 150 feet tall and holds 500,000 gallons of water. It was last painted around 2000. The renovation and painting project will ensure the tower’s stability and facade for the coming decades.

The water tower renovation project had been in the city’s capital improvement plans for quite some time and was long slated to be completed in 2024, which it missed by just six months. A $1 million grant covered most of the $1.2 million project’s cost.

“It’s the most visible tower in the community and it might be the most visible landmark in our town,” Fiegenschuh said. “You can see it from miles away. I’m proud of it being renovated and having clean and safe drinking water. I’m really proud of the collaboration that went into picking the design and colors because it really was a community effort. People should be proud to live here. The water tower is a symbol of that pride. And you see it every day.”