Water tank gets fresh coat of paint

Travelers near the intersection of Greenville Boulevard and 14th Street may have noticed a curtain draped around GUC’s Eastside Elevated Water Tank this month.

The curtain was protecting surrounding property from debris and other materials associated with the periodic painting of the tank’s exterior and interior walls.

“Every two years we do a thorough inspection of the tank to ensure it is in good shape, very serviceable and the paint is not being compromised because that can cause other issues, primarily damage to the tank,” said Scott Farmer, Greenville Utilities Commission’s assistant director of water resources.

“Ultimately, that leads to every 10 to 15 years the tank needs to be recoated,” he said.

The Eastside tank was last painted in 2008, he said.

Utility Service Co. Inc. started work on the tank in late August, Farmer said, starting with sanding the exterior, performing needed repairs and then painting the surface. The company will next make whatever repairs are needed in the interior and recoat it with a paint that is approved by the National Science Foundation for use in drinking water systems.

Once the painting is completed, the tank will be disinfected and tested to ensure the water is safe to drink.

“We are constantly doing water sampling and water testing in the water system now, before we put a piece of equipment online,” Farmer said. “Whether it be a tank or a pipe we typically run disinfection and tests to be sure it’s safe to drink.”

The work should be completed by early October.

The Eastside tank, which is about 130 feet tall from the base to top and holds 1 million gallons of water, is part of a broader network in GUC’s water system that provides a steady flow of water for consumption in its eastern service area.

GUC has two water tanks. The other is the southside tank located near University Commons farther down Greenville Boulevard.

The Eastside tank was built in the mid 1990s, Farmer said.