Special to the NEWS
The City of San Benito contractors are completing the Freddy Fender Water Tower, with the iconic image of Freddy Fender restored to its place.
According to a City of San Benito press release, the first phase of a two-tower water infrastructure upgrade project is nearly complete.
The rehabilitation project continues the city’s commitment to providing dependable water systems and ensuring long-term service for residents and businesses, according to the release.
Interior structural and coating upgrades are now complete, with crews working on cosmetic details such as fresh paint and new features.
The Freddy Fender Water Tower is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, welcoming drivers traveling along the interstate as they enter San Benito.
“We’re excited to see the Freddy Fender Water Tower almost finished,” said San Benito City Manager Fred Sandoval. “With only a few cosmetic touches left, it will soon shine again as a symbol of our city’s pride and dedication to providing high-quality water.”
Tanksco Inc. conducted the rehabilitation, with engineering oversight provided by KLM Engineering Inc.
The City of San Benito is keeping the community informed as the project progresses, ensuring everyone has access to safe, dependable water storage, City officials said.
In late 2025, the San Benito Commissioners unanimously approved $1.47 million for significant upgrades to two water towers within the city, which is less than the initial budget.
After the City of San Benito solicited bids from six companies, the Freddy Fender Tower, a one-million-gallon elevated reservoir, and the Oscar Williams Road Tower, an 850,000-gallon elevated reservoir, underwent cleaning, repairs, and painting.
Tanksco, Inc. submitted the lowest bid of approximately $1,468,280, according to KLM engineer Benjamin Feldman, who emailed Sandoval two weeks before the commissioners’ meeting.
Some bids reached as high as $3.2 million and $2.9 million.
The KLM engineer’s estimate was $2.3 million in total, with $900,000 allocated for Fender Tower and $1.4 million for Williams Tower.
Feldman stated Tanksco provided documentation that met or exceeded the specified qualification requirements. He added that Tanksco was a relatively new company and had served as the general contractor on several projects with Minnesota-based KLM over the past two years.
“Performing the work of both towers in a single package is the most cost-effective approach to the current rehabilitation needs,” Feldman said.
The projected cost for the Freddy Fender Tower was $820,280, and the Oscar Williams Road Tower cost was $648,000, according to the Tanksco bid, which was opened via a mid-afternoon webcast on December 4, 2025.
Commissioners viewed various images of each tower showing significant deterioration on and around the roof, wet access manway, balcony, shell ladder, vent, and strobe lights.
“The towers are in much need of repair, lots of years of deferred maintenance,” Sandoval said. “Any metal parts that need to be replaced or repaired will be done.”
Mayor Ricardo Guerra recalled that this had been an unsettling topic for several years due to the costs.
During the meeting, he stated that the estimated costs to clean and repair the proposed towers were $2 million each. He also mentioned that one option was to tear down the Williams Road Tower entirely.
Thank God we held off, and now it’s going to be refurbished,” Guerra said while also praising Sandoval. “You told us to hold off, we did, we trusted you, and now the cost is below (budget).”