Plymouth's largest water tower is in the process of getting a major refurbishing that will leave it with a fresh new look.
The 3 million-gallon tower at Highway 55 and County Road 101 is being sandblasted and painted, maintenance that is generally scheduled every 15 to 20 years. According to Utilities Manager Scott Newberger, work on the tower is scheduled to last 12 weeks. It should be finished by early August.
Sandblasting removes all accumulated paint so that if there are any imperfections in the metal, they can be identified and corrected. When the exterior is repainted, it will mirror the look of the tower located near County Road 6 and Xenium Lane - a cloud (white) exterior with an updated city logo.
This project is a total rehabilitation, which means that the interior is also being blasted and painted to protect the health and safety of the drinking water supply.
Each morning a containment curtain is hoisted up around the tower to prevent dust, paint particles or other materials from being blown out of the work area. The curtain is lowered at the end of the day, revealing the progress that was made.
The material used for blasting is 100 percent recycled and reused. Typically, the contractor uses a sand-based blasting material, but the city has opted for a steel shot that is run through the recycler on the site and re-used.
(Information from the city of Plymouth's website.)
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