City officials should know by the end of next month what should be done with the deteriorating water tank at Thompson Park.

By then, consultants Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, Syracuse, should have some answers once they complete a study on how to handle the situation, Water Superintendent Michael J. Sligar said Wednesday.

So far, the consultants have projected the repairs might drain the city of $915,000 after looking at the 34-year-old tank initially in September. The consultants may come back with a recommendation to install a glass interior, replace the 250,000-gallon tank altogether or even move it to another location, Mr. Sligar said.

“It’s just a thought,” he said, adding that he mentioned it to the Watertown City Council on Monday night just to let council members know that moving it might be an option.

It may be a good idea to relocate it since it could improve water service in the town of Watertown, he said, declining to elaborate.

The tank was installed at Thompson Park — the highest point in the city — in 1978 to provide adequate water pressure to the neighborhood surrounding Thompson Park, to properties along Gotham Street and for some underground city tanks in the park, he said.

The city recently learned that corrosion in the tank has increased so much since an inspection in 2000 that the entire protective interior must be replaced, according to a Nov. 13 memo by Mr. Sligar. Despite updated quotes being sought, “nothing was ever done,” Mr. Sligar wrote after looking in subsequent files.

In September, an inspection by CRA projected all of the repairs would cost $915,000. The city has budgeted $500,000 for the tank’s rehabilitation.

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