View of Missionary Ridge tank while being rehabilitated
New tank in Whitwell has capacity of 120,000 gallons
The old tank in Whitwell will eventually be removed
Repainted South End tank with white paint, which will not fade as drastically as blue
South End tank before new paint
As part of its ongoing maintenance program and capital projects, Tennessee American Water has rehabilitated and re-painted two of its water tanks in Hamilton County and installed a new one in Marion County.
In Chattanooga, the tank located on Missionary Ridge dates back to 1924 while the “South End” tank as it is named was installed in 1962. (The South End tank is on a street off Central Avenue, near Alton Park/St. Elmo).
Traditionally tanks have been painted blue, but recent takeaways from other utilities show that white does not fade as quickly or as drastically, officials said. While the tanks were out of service, structural improvements were made and safety upgrades performed.
“Tanks are an important part of our distribution system that gets water out to our customers,” said Director of Operations Kevin Kruchinski. “Regular upkeep and upgrades on tanks ensure reliability and quality.”
In Marion County, a new tank has been installed in the Red Hill area.
The tank will serve customers in Sequatchie County and northern Marion County when it goes into service around the end of February. The new tank is constructed of industrial steel and glass and holds 120,000 gallons. It replaces an aged tank and adds storage capability to the distribution system. A solar panel is being installed to run the remote monitoring software. The solar panel creates a $42,000 savings.
The three tanks are part of over 30 tanks in the Tennessee American Water system. The tanks store treated water for distribution throughout the area for customers.