OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. (AP) - Olive Branch's seventh water tower, to be completed in about nine months, is expected to improve fire-fighting capabilities in the surrounding area.

The Commercial Appeal reports (http://bit.ly/UOUPxw ) aldermen voted last week to pick Caldwell Tank of Louisville, Ky., for the work of erecting a 500,000-gallon, multi-column tank near the new hospital.

Officials want the tank up and running before Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare's 100-bed hospital is open for business next fall.

Steve Bigelow, city engineer, said the tank will be able to provide 3,500 gallons of water per minute over three hours. The current ability is 2,200 gallons per minute.

The hospital is funding $500,000, or almost half, of the cost of the tank.

Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.