Water Tower Demolition in Plano Was a Mixture of Art & Science

In 2015, the Plano water tower was demolished to make way for new development that was taking place. Much like the process of felling a tree, the tower required specialized expertise performing strategic cuts that would enable the tower to be dropped in a specific fashion and direction.

“Tipping” as it’s called, is one of the most economic ways to take down water towers such as this. The water pipe, supporting structure, and all connections to the former infrastructure piece of Plano were cut in the early morning hours. The 178-foot structure was constructed in Legacy Park in Plano, Texas, in 1985 and used to hold up to 2 million gallons of water. Not having been in use since 2010, its demolition was scheduled to make way for the Legacy West development alongside the Dallas North Tollway.

Shared by the City of Plano YouTube Channel, this video is one of many that highlights the growth and upgrading that’s taking place in the area, but also explains in layman’s terms what has to take place when a water tower such as this one is deemed obsolete. It’s doubtful that the same process will take place for the leaning water tower in Britten, Texas, however you get the concept. In its place in Plano, the removal of the water tower would see the placement of a high-end shopping mall, a high-rise hotel, 621 apartments, as well as Liberty Mutual’s new high-rise office complex, forever changing the look and feel of this Texas city in, what city planners believe, is a positive light.