WESLACO - Several residents said water has poured down the sides of the Weslaco Kansas Water Tower for years.

Weslaco resident Joel Romero claimed it has been leaking ever since he moved in. He’s neighbored the 76-year-old tower for five years.

“Sometimes I think it’s raining outside and it’s the water tower. I called the city department once. They laughed and said, ‘Oh, we’re going to check it out.’ They never did,” he said.

The tower has a capability of 300,000 gallons of water. Approximately 25 to 40 gallons is lost every day, according to the Weslaco’s public works department.

Romero said the tower leaks every other week. He said, at times, the loss of water makes him nervous.

“It’s all night and then in the morning, it’s flooded. The alley is flooded. It’s just a lot of water being wasted,” he said. “All that water! I mean, we’re gone. We’re goners.”

City officials confirmed the leak has been trickling for at least the last four years. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also notified the city’s public works department about needed repairs to the tower last October.

Weslaco’s waste water superintendent, Marcelo Cosme, said the city is in the process of obtaining quotes from contractors to fix up the leak in the next two weeks. He added the city sees it as an emergency, but not a major problem.

“It’s just a small drip leak. As you can tell, there’s nothing on the ground that’s affecting anybody,” he said. “So, it’s not a major safety issue. It’s all contained inside the perimeter.”

Cosme said it will cost the city approximately $80,000 to $100,000 to fix the leak. He said the department does not see any structural issues.

The historic water tower will continue to operate while it awaits repairs.