Otis Municipal Waterworks System
Washington County
In 1918, after many problems with area wells, the town committed itself to establish a water system that would be independent of the railroad and provide the dependable water supply necessary for town safety and future growth. The pump house and first wells were constructed in 1919.
Otis Municipal Waterworks System (1993 photograph.)
The Otis Water Tower, a steel cylinder, with semi-spherical bottom and conical top elevated 110 feet on four webbed steel legs, is the tallest structure in town and serves as a local landmark. Built by Chicago Bridge and Iron Works, the tower stands as a symbol of the important part played by water projects in the developmental history of rural Colorado. The subsequent digging of a 1936 well occurred as a result of a Works Progress Administration project.
The Otis Water Tower, at 302 East 1st Avenue, was listed in the State Register in 1993 and also counted as a contributing structure in the Otis Municipal Waterworks historic district, which was listed in 2001.