During the COVID pandemic, many construction projects were delayed, and there were material and labor shortages. As a result, water utility owners were looking for maintenance strategies that could resolve problems short of undertaking more costly and lengthy rehabilitation and/or replacement projects.

The San Antonio Water System (SAWS)(1) took this approach when coating failures developed on the exterior of their 1.5-MG Foster Elevated Storage Tank (EST). A coating evaluation and testing determined that the existing exterior coating was a candidate for overcoating to economically extend the life of the coating system at less than half the cost of a full coating replacement. During construction of the project, a failure pattern was revealed that helped explain why the coating had failed.

SAWS’ experience illustrates how utilities can take cost-effective measures to prolong the life of their facilities and responsibly manage both their physical assets and their budgets.

Subject
Test methods, Coating inspection, Coatings, Top coats, Overcoatings, Surface preparation, Epoxy coatings, Coating adhesion, Mechanical failure, Internal coatings, Polyurethane coatings, Coating defects, Adhesion testing
Keywords:
Tank coatings, asset management, water utilities, elevated storage tank, EST
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2025
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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