A water tower emblazoned with the word “sex” greeted drivers as they passed through a town in southeast Wisconsin, thanks to an ill-timed painting break.
The gaffe turned up in Sussex, a village about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee.
WTMJ-TV reports that workers painting the town’s name on the water tower stopped midway through to allow the paint to dry Wednesday. Village Administrator Jeremy Smith tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the word was fully covered by late Thursday morning.
One driver, Jessica Bruss, told the Milwaukee television station she “almost drove off the road” when her 8-year-old son pointed out the word as they drove past the water tower Wednesday on their way to his first baseball game.
Bruss says the unfinished paint work may be funny for adults, but added: “People should remember that kids are seeing it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.