Why Idaho Falls Is Demolishing Its Historic 1937 Water Tower

The skyline of Idaho Falls is changing — and for many residents, it feels like the end of an era.


After nearly 90 years standing over the city, the historic Idaho Falls water tower is being demolished. The teardown process officially began on January 5, and demolition is expected to be completed by February 2026. If you haven’t seen the tower in person recently, there isn’t much time left.


This isn’t just the removal of steel and concrete. It’s the closing chapter of a landmark that helped shape the city we know today.

Why Idaho Falls Needed a Water Tower in the First Place

When the original water tower was built in 1937, Idaho Falls was a very different place.

The tower played a critical role in:

• Providing reliable water pressure
  
  
• Supporting a growing population
  
  
• Improving fire protection throughout the city
  
  

At the time, it was a major infrastructure investment — one that quietly served residents for decades. Over time, it became more than just functional. It became familiar. A fixture of the skyline. A symbol of stability and growth.

Why the City Decided It Had to Come Down

As iconic as the water tower became, infrastructure has a lifespan.

Over the years, the 1937 structure no longer met modern standards for:

• Capacity
  
  
• Efficiency
  
  
• Long-term safety
  
  
• Ongoing maintenance costs
  
  

City officials ultimately faced a difficult reality: preserving the tower simply wasn’t feasible without significant limitations. The decision to demolish it wasn’t about replacing history — it was about ensuring the city’s water system could support current residents and future growth.

What’s Replacing the Old Water Tower

In place of the original structure, Idaho Falls is upgrading to a new 1-million-gallon elevated water tower, replacing the old 500,000-gallon tank.


This upgrade brings meaningful improvements, including:

• Increased water storage capacity
  
  
• Better water pressure throughout the city
  
  
• Enhanced fire protection for neighborhoods and businesses
  
  
• Infrastructure designed to serve Idaho Falls for decades to come
  
  

While the new tower may not yet carry the same emotional weight, it represents the city investing in its future.

What This Means for People Living in — or Moving to — Idaho Falls

For longtime residents, the loss of the water tower is personal. It’s something you grew up seeing. Something that quietly anchored the skyline.

For those considering a move to Idaho Falls, this story reveals something deeper than infrastructure: it shows how the city balances honoring its past while preparing for what’s next.

Growth doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like carefully replacing what worked for generations with something designed to work even better for the next ones.

A Legacy That Won’t Be Forgotten

The Idaho Falls water tower didn’t come down because it failed.

It came down because it served so well, for so long, that the city eventually outgrew it.

While it may soon be gone from the skyline, its place in Idaho Falls’ story is permanent — remembered by the people who lived beneath it and documented for those who come after.

Thinking About Moving to Idaho Falls?

Understanding a city means more than looking at home prices or listings. It means understanding its history, its growth, and the decisions shaping its future.

If you’re planning a move and want a real feel for life in Idaho Falls, stories like this matter.

Contact Jacob at 208-821-6217 or Jacob@eastidahojacob.com to plan your move!