PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Ossipee Bluffs Association contracted A&W Coatings to line the potable water tank’s interior and front exterior with Warren Environmental’s NSF approved 301-01 epoxy coating.  

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The steel tank was heavily corroded and previously lined with a coal tar coating banned in many areas throughout the United States due to its abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are known to be toxic, especially at high levels of exposure. Its presence in a potable water tank was a health risk to those working around the tank and those drinking its water. Before they could begin proper surface preparation, the A&W team performed abrasive blasting on the tank to remove a failed coal tar coating. The tank needed to be re-blasted two times to get 90% of the slag and rust off the steel before the coating could be applied.  

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The A&W crew applied 150 mils of our 301-01 epoxy along the interior of the eight-foot diameter tank and the front-facing exterior. The team faced an aggressive schedule with only five days to complete the project, including a mobilization day but managed to line the steel tank on time. Their success was largely due to the epoxy’s quick curing time and ability to be fully applied in a single coat. After the application was complete, the A&W applicators performed spark and pull tests. Three pull tests were performed, all of which were glue failures with results of 764, 974, and 931. These tests confirmed that the potable water tank had been successfully rehabilitated with a non-hazardous coating that will keep the drinking water safe from contamination.