Perched high above us, the Katy Water Tower stands as a testament to this city’s identity. This isn’t just a water tower. It’s a canvas telling a story of Katy.
In late 2017, Katy decided to enhance its heritage. It did this by commissioning two high-profile water tank murals turning them into modern works of art. With the help of a fluoropolymer coating system from Tnemec, these tanks instantly made the city stand out among the many towns in the Houston area.
There are two legged tanks. One is located off Franz Road near the Katy Police Station. The other sits near the Katy Mills shopping center. Both were painted with almost identical designs. The major difference is their size. The Franz Rd. water tank holds up to 250,000 gallons. The Katy Mills tank has more legs and a larger diameter. It holds up to 500,000 gallons.
Rolf and Peter Goetzinger designed the murals. They based it on the City of Katy’s ideas. The Goetzinger brothers have a long history of creating other water tank murals. They completed highly regarded projects across the country for more than 20 years.
Each tank was handled by a different crew. Both worked hard to complete the initial work. Then the Goetzingers made the trip to Texas to apply the murals.
Both tanks were prepared and coated with a high-performance system from Tnemec. The system began with a zinc-rich primer. It was spray-applied to the interior and exterior of the tank. Following the primer, the interior received a stripe coat and a full coat of Series 141 Epoxoline. The exterior received an intermediate coat of a high-performance acrylic polyurethane.
The tanks were topcoated using Tnemec’s fluoropolymer topcoat. It provides long-term color and gloss retention. It resists the effects of UV light degradation.
Both coating contractors did a great job. The tanks were fully coated. This was with the exception of the murals by early November 2017. Peter Goetzinger and his son, Orion, utilized Series 700 in a variety of colors to paint the murals. The murals were complete in December 2017.
After completion, the Katy tanks were nominated for Tnemec’s Tank of the Year contest. It was alongside more than 270 other tanks. It was awarded the top prize. A panel of water tank enthusiasts chose it based on their aesthetic, creative and innovative use of exterior coatings.
If you look closely at the Katy Water Tower near I-10 and Katy Fort Bend Road, you will see a bright blue mural. The tower, as well as one located near the Katy Police Department facility on Franz Road, was repainted with Canadian geese. It reflects the city’s heritage. This happened in October and November.
Katy was a bird-hunting mecca for decades. Katy’s rice fields were prime real estate for geese migrating south for the winter. Millions would settle here. This created a booming bird and waterfowl hunting headquarters. With Katy’s growth and expansion, the days of the migrating birds are gone. But Katy pays homage to the geese that put Katy on the map with this nicely decorated Katy Water Tower.
So the next time you see the Katy Water Tower, remember it’s more than just infrastructure. It’s a landmark. It showcases art, history, and community pride.