During a meeting Monday, the Tamaqua Water Authority board awarded the bid for painting its four water towers to V&T Painting LLC of Farmington Hills, Michigan. V&T bid $1,133,000 for the job.

Bids from 12 companies were opened last week. The specifications called for a base bid, along with a bid for extending pipes on the towers. V&T had a base bid of $1,130,000. The next closest bidder was another Michigan company, Horizon Brothers, Howell, with a base bid of $1,103,600. When the additional bid for extending pipes was included, Horizon Brothers bid $1,135,600 while V&T bid $1,133,000; only $2,600 separated the two firms.The four water towers will be painted, inside and outside, over a two-year period, with two done each year. The towers are water storage units, and taking one at a time out of service will not affect water service.