A long-time landmark on the High River horizon is about to disappear from sight.

Scaffolding is now surrounding the tower, which was built in 1912, and it will soon be wrapped in a giant tarp.

Jim Duckworth, engineering coordinator with the Town of High River says the tarp will keep everyone safe once the sandblasting work begins.

"They will begin to clean off the paint and the asbestos mastic that's on the outside of the tank itself, which has to be handled as special waste."

Once that is done they will cut the tower down in roughly three metre sections, which will then be taken to a steel recycling place in Calgary.

The current budget to remove the tower is $750, 000.

More costs will be added once the structure is gone because contaminated soil and concrete below the ground level also need to be removed.

"We will take out some of the soil around the tank that has some of the lead material and other things in it,' said Duckworth.

"It will be filled back in with the the appropriate soil structure that will allow it to be a park again.