ADDING 50 PERCENT MORE WATER STORAGE IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK

Photos courtesy of Statewide Aquastore

Town of Chenango, N.Y. 276,000 gallon glass-fused-to-steel water tower installed in 1985; 50 ft dia. x 19 ft high. In 2005 expanded to 28 ft high with increased capacity of 423,000 gallons.

The Town of Chenango, Northeast of Binghamton, N.Y., has four glass-fused-to-steel potable water storage tanks supplied by Statewide Aquastore, Inc. of East Syracuse, N.Y. Apart from routine AWWA inspections recommended every three to five years, one tank bought in 1980 has required minimal maintenance. A one-time resealing of the sheet edges and the installation of protective caps over the nut and washer combination was the extent of any service incurred. Total cost of that maintenance was $8,000, says Statewide Aquastore construction manager Charles Gage—less than $250 per year over 35 years.

“By and large the cost of maintenance for our tanks is an order of magnitude less than that required for concrete or painted welded tanks,” says Ali Keskin, vice president, Statewide Aquastore, which has installed more than 1000 glass-fused-to-steel tanks in New York and New England for both municipal and industrial applications. “One of our biggest assets is that we can erect our tanks in tight areas year round, which is important given the weather in our region. Concrete and welded tanks both require extensive construction work out in the field.”

Another significant asset is that glass-coated tanks are expandable, particularly for customers who have the foresight to prepare original foundations for future vertical expansions. An example is another Chenango tank.

Being unable to shut down its only water source, one of Chenango’s tanks had never been inspected. Twenty years after its initial construction in 1985 with no maintenance costs, the tank was expanded—in less than one week— by the addition of two rings. With the exception of some galvanized streaks from the external nuts (protective caps to the outside bolts were unavailable in 1985) the older panel sheets looked just as sharp as the new ones. New protective caps were added and the tank was given a complete reseal. The entire upgrading of the tank to incorporate new features and to expand was less than $50,000. To obtain the additional 147,000 gallons, the owner saved the costs to procure land, extend piping, clear and prepare site—plus the preparation of bidding on a new project and installing a new tank.