At its July 19 meeting, the Carroll-Boone Water Board voted to authorize James Yates to enter into a contract with Olsson Associates to prepare options for replacing roofs of the Lewis E. Epley, Jr., Operations Center of the Freeman-Raney Water Treatment Plant. The facility has an upper roof over the offices and a lower roof over an adjoining section housing equipment. Both are flat.
Engineer and consultant Brad Hammond said the roofs were re-covered in 2000 with sprayed polyurethane foam, a popular product at the time, although no roofers in Arkansas use it anymore. He suggested that a more up-to-date covering, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), would the best choice for the lower roof, but proposed a pitched standing seam metal roof above the offices. The metal roof would last far longer than TPO.
Hammond mentioned that on the roof above the offices are two HVAC units, which could stay but there would need to be cutouts in the design of the metal roof to accommodate them. These features might open up the chance for leaks in the seams over time, so he suggested those units be moved to the ground.
Yates replied it was no-brainer to go with the pitched roof, and agreed with the idea of moving the HVAC units to allow for an uninterrupted roof. Discussion followed about a hip roof, which slopes in on all four sides, versus a gable roof, which slopes inward on two sides. Cost comparisons were taken into account.
Office Manager Cathy Klein said she had been told if there were a chemical emergency and she had to get above the fumes, she was supposed to get up to the roof. She asked where would staff go if there were a hip or gable roof? Hammond agreed that was a point he would consider in the design.
Commissioners eventually agreed for Hammond to present options and costs at the Oct. 18 meeting, after which Hammond and attorney Dan Bowers would develop bid documents.
Bubbles can’t be good
General Manager Barry Connell said he recently saw bubbles in the coating applied to one wall of four filters. He immediately called the contractor, manufacturer, and inspector involved with the project completed just last year. He has not seen problems with other filter walls, but will report back after further scrutiny.
Storm strips paint
Connell informed commissioners that a July 3 storm caused a sizable portion of exterior paint to slough off the Pine Mountain water tower. Engineering inspections have already begun.
“This was a complete failure,” Olsson engineer and consultant Chris Hall said, “The contractor has never seen it anything like it.” Hall said ongoing tests might help reveal more useful information, but the paint looked good when it was completed in January 2009.
Hall said it cost about $550,000 to paint both the outside and inside of the five million-gallon tank. Repair might not require a complete repaint, so the cost would be less.
Connell said he might have to take the tank out of service during repair, and wants to plan ahead for taking care of their tanks.
pH needs emending
Hammond reported there is a holdup in equipment delivery as they prepare for a pH adjustment. The plan is to add a lime slurry, or caustic soda if necessary, to the water to adjust the pH to 8.6. This will help reduce corrosion in downstream pipes.
The scheduled completion date is August 25.
Hammond’s plan called for 10-12 months of gradual increase in the pH, but said the Arkansas Department of Health requested the plan be completed in five months. Hammond said he would communicate with their representative about the most sensible schedule.
Next meeting will be Thursday, October 18, at 10 a.m., at the Freeman-Raney Water Treatment Plant.