Environmental Science & Engineering - www.esemag.com - November 2003
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Saint John installs TecStore tank to meet its growing needs
Bringing its water system into
the 21st century and complying
with provincial standards
were the main goals of the city
of Saint John, New Brunswick, when it
decided in 2000 to install a new
potable water tank. The city’s old riveted
tank built in 1935 had a capacity of
250,000 imperial gallons - not enough
to meet the needs of the 25,000 customers
in the city’s western section,
especially in case of an emergency.
“We needed extra water to fight
fires and for other emergency water
situations,” said Dean Price, project
engineer in the Saint John Municipal
Operations and Engineering department.
“We also needed to be able to
meet peak demand in the middle of the
day when we couldn’t get water fast
enough from the lake.” The site is 250
feet above sea level.
The city’s tank selection process
focused on a choice between bolted
tanks and welded steel. “We considered
a welded tank assembled on site,
but didn’t want to have to do sandblasting
and painting near the houses in the
area,” Price explained. “We decided to
go with a bolted tank because the panels
are prepainted and shipped here
and because its factory epoxy finish is
expected to last longer.”
The city financed about half of the
total cost, with additional funding
coming from the provincial and federal
governments. Site work began in
2001 and the infrastructure was
built in 2002.
A seven-man crew from Greatario
Engineered Storage in Innerkip,
Ontario, began installation of the
TecStore tank in July this year. The
work went quickly except for delays
caused by driving rain and wind. The
new tank is 64 feet in diameter and 56
feet high with a 2-foot side wall and a
concrete base. Capacity is 1.2 million
imperial gallons. A small control
building was also built nearby for reinjecting
chlorine and keeping it at safe
levels.
The new tank is painted a custom
blue with an aluminum geodesic
dome. Adhesive letters spell out the
Saint John name on the side. Extras
include plastic caps over the bolts and
a conical floor that allows dirt to be
swept away when the water drains.
ADI Limited, of Saint John, New
Brunswick, were the consulting engineers
on the project.
As the new tank is in a residential
area on a hill overlooking the harbour,
appearance was an important consideration.
It is next to Martello Tower, the
historic military lookout which is a
couple of hundred years old and was
also used in the First and Second
World Wars to watch out for ships and
submarines along the coast. A lot of
people visit the museum and can see
the tank.
The old tank will be demolished in
a few months. “The old paint is peeling,
so we’re looking forward to seeing
it come down,” Price said. After testing
and cleaning are completed in late
October, the new tank was scheduled
to go on line in November, 2003.
Contact Steve Gregory, Tel: (519) 469-8200.
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