The Bradford City Water Authority released more information on Thursday regarding the Big Shanty storage tank rehabilitation project.
As the authority continues to address critical infrastructure needs and asset management activities, they have scheduled a capital project to take the Big Shanty storage tank out of service for rehabilitation beginning Monday.
Residents served by this tank should not see any disruption of water service during this project, and fire protection will still be available on this system. The authority’s Foster Hollow 220,000 gallon storage tank is tied into the system; however, the overall storage capacity will be without the 395,000 gallons normally at the Big Shanty tank during this timeframe.
The project will begin with the placement of temporary storage tanks on Monday.
One 10,000 gallon storage tank will be placed at the Big Shanty tank site. And, a pressurized 18,000 tanker truck will be placed on Lineman Road on the Northwest side of the roadway and berm area near the intersection with Big Shanty Road. Lafayette Township has allowed the authority to restrict Lineman Road to a single lane of traffic during the project. The open lane will be sufficient to allow emergency vehicles and other vehicle traffic to enter and exit.
Rehab work will begin Aug. 7 on the 395,000 gallons capacity storage tank, originally installed and placed into service in 1987. New anode bars will be installed to provide cathodic protection. These anode bars protect the tank’s interior wetted surfaces from excessive corrosion. The exterior roof and sides will also receive a thorough washing with a mild solution of muriatic acid in order to remove existing streaking of the exterior surfaces. The entire project is expected to take at least 30 days.
Steve Disney, executive director for the Authority, stated, “Maintaining our critical assets is a top priority and we want to ensure we are routinely evaluating their condition, their service life and their required maintenance.” He also added, “We’re grateful for the assistance that Lewis Run Borough and Lafayette Township are providing for this project and all of the planning our Authority employees have performed getting this project planned and implemented.”
This project is complex. The Big Shanty storage tank is a critical intermediate location between the Authority’s pumping station at the South Avenue cul-de-sac in Bradford Township and customers in Lafayette Township, including the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility and the Bradford Regional Airport.
Lewis Run Borough is a customer of the Authority and is assisting the Authority during this project by performing their supply pumping from the Authority’s system during the overnight hours during times of low usage.
Any concerns or questions can be directed to the Water Authority at (814) 362-3004.
