Isle of Wight County supervisors voted unanimously on June 5 to accept a bid of $5.6 million for the construction of a water tower adjacent to the new Riverside Smithfield Hospital.

Bids to build the 750,000-gallon tank were due May 15. The lowest bidder, CB&I Storage Tank Solutions LLC, was awarded the contract. The county received three bids ranging from $5.6 million to $8.4 million.

The tower will serve the 50-bed hospital slated to open in January and the adjacent 775-home Benn’s Grant development. The tower will be similar in design but larger than one serving Hardy Elementary, which holds 500,000 gallons.

Isle of Wight received $1.2 million in federal funding for the Riverside tower last year.

County Administrator Randy Keaton said last year that the federal money will be combined with $1.6 million proffered by East West Communities, the developer of Benn’s Grant, and $1.6 million from water and sewer tap fees the county has collected from Benn’s Grant, for around $4.9 million. 

Keaton said at the June 5 meeting that around $800,000 would be moved from Isle of Wight’s capital improvement plan allocation for utilities to make up the difference.

“We can fully fund the project. We’re not asking the board for any additional funds,” Keaton told supervisors.

No construction schedule has been announced. Utilities Director Uwe Weindel previously told the county’s Planning Commission that construction is expected to take a year to 18 months.