Alabama 20 water tank next in line for cleaning and coating
Apr. 9—Decatur Utilities plans to begin cleaning and replacing the coating on the water storage tank on Alabama 20 and Red Hat Road in the next month, completing its rotation through the city's water towers.
Surface preparation and applications of the coating system for the 10-million-gallon tank plus tank inspections will cost about $1.51 million, said Water and Wastewater Manager Tom Cleveland.
Spokesman Joe Holmes said the city has 10 water tanks and towers, and they hold a backup supply of 24 million gallons in storage.
Holmes said the tanks serve as backup storage in the event the water plant has to be taken offline for a brief time. They also support pressure throughout the distribution system as well as fire protection.
DU received 10 responsive bids, and the Municipal Utilities Board awarded the contract to G&L Tank Sandblasting & Coating LLC of Shelbyville, Tennessee, for $1.22 million at its monthly meeting last week.
The board also hired Chapman Technical Services, through a professional services agreement, for $193,500 to handle tank inspections on a 180-day contract.
Cleveland said the Alabama Department of Environmental Management requires the utility to inspect water tanks every 20 years. They painted the exterior of the 43-year-old tank in 2018, but they last coated the interior in 2002.
Work will include cleaning and applying a new coating system to the interior surface and support columns, plus any interior structural reinforcement that may be required, Cleveland said.
"We also added in a $100,000 contingency because we really don't know the extent of the structure integrity on the inside," Cleveland said.
General Manager Ray Hardin said they will handle any contingency through the change-order process so it's not part of the original contract.
"We will only use it if we run into things that are a surprise," Hardin said.
Cleveland said they've now been through the city's water tanks and towers, and they will have to start the process again when this Alabama 20 project is complete.
Other DU project updates:
—The $165 million sewer rehabilitation project is in two phases. Cleveland said the first phase by its independent contractor Vortex is 96% complete.
They are rehabbing about 45,310 linear feet of 8-, 10-, and 12-inch clay sewer mains along with approximately 625 service lateral replacements. So far, they replaced about 42,844 linear feet of main and 523 services.
Vortex is 39% complete on the second phase, which includes rehabbing about 138,000 linear feet of 8-, 10-, and 12-inch clay sewer mains along with approximately 2,800 service lateral replacements.
They have replaced 52,317 linear feet of sewer main and 782 services to date, Cleveland said.
—Another part of the $165 million project is DU's wastewater plant influent pump station and headworks improvements.
Garver Engineering recently completed the design of plans to replace the existing influent pump station and headworks. The bid opening is scheduled for May 2.
—BH Craig Construction plans to start rehabbing Lift Station 5 improvements for the wastewater treatment plant in the next 30 days. The project includes replacing pumps, electrical and other mechanical equipment on the lift station on 14th Street Southwest.
—BH Craig has begun installing a new Lift Station 7 on Fifth Avenue Northwest. The station is more than 60 years old, Cleveland said.
Both lift station projects are part of the sewer rehab meant to reduce or end sewer overflows. Cleveland said the city has not had a sewer overflow in two years.
— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432