New Products

Secure Roof Openings, Doors, and Drains

Make sure to secure access doors in dry risers and access tubes to prevent unauthorized entry. Roof hatches should be equipped with locks to halt unlawful access into tanks. Long story short, lock up or secure any points of access on or around your storage tank, especially if it’s a potable tank.

Roof openings on a tank require any hatch or roof manway to be locked to comply with AWWA D100-11; 7.4.3 Roof Openings. A sign reading: DANGER – PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER, or similar language, must be posted on any roof opening to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 1910.146(c)(2), Confined Spaces.

Drains should be equipped with locking devices to prevent anyone from draining the tank. Water scarcity is a growing issue in the world, so it wouldn’t be unthinkable for people to start siphoning off the water. In places with droughts and water shortages, a storage tank full of water is an inviting target for thieves.

It’s best practice to drain a water tank if there’s even the hint that a tank was tampered with as a precaution. Draining a tank costs money, and any water loss also costs money, but it’s the only safe way to proceed.

Officials in a city in Utah asked residents to boil their water for 48 hours after three teenagers trespassed near a water storage tank, according to news reports. There was ultimately nothing wrong with the tank, but it was emptied as a precaution.

Preventing physical access to a storage tank is relatively cheap in comparison to draining a tank. A few locks, posted signs, and fencing are worth it to provide a little more peace of mind and safety to the public.

Erin Schmitt is a technical writer/media director for Pittsburg Tank & Tower Group in Henderson, Ky. S

PPG Protective & Marine Coatings recently announced an expansion of its coatings offerings specifically geared toward water and wastewater treatment facilities, including collections systems, primary and secondary treatment, biosolids handling, and disinfection.

Customers can choose from a comprehensive range of coatings that provide corrosion and chemical resistance based on the environment, the substrate being protected (concrete or steel), and specific performance requirements. Due to PPG’s recent acquisition of RAVEN Lining Systems, the expanded portfolio is able to combine PPG RAVEN and PPG AQUATAFLEX coating systems for aggressive underwater concrete applications with a variety of coating solutions for exterior and interior steel tanks, basins, and facility infrastructure.

While all PPG coatings are designed to resist aggressive corrosion and provide long-lasting performance, each is optimized for specific enduse requirements. These include: PPG RAVEN 405 high-build epoxy that provides protection and broad chemical resistance, especially to hydrogen sulfide, for concrete immersion applications like wet wells, digesters, and manholes; PPG AQUATAFLEX tri-hybrid series that combines the chemical resistance of an epoxy, flexibility of a polyurethane, and fast cure of a polyurea for concrete substrates that are subject to structural movement or that require quick return to service such as filter basins, clarifiers, and tanks; PPG RAVEN 755 cementitious resurfacer that rehabilitates deteriorated concrete as a first coat in a system with PPG RAVEN 405 or PPG AQUATAFLEX series coatings for manholes, wet wells, filter basins, and headworks; PPG SIGMASHIELD that provides high abrasion and impact resistance for steel-immersion applications due to its ultra-high film build with broad application thicknesses; PPG NOVAGUARD 890 novolac epoxy lining that offers resistance to a wide range of chemicals and solvents, including H2S, for direct-to-metal applications; and PPG AMERCOAT interior and PPG AMERLOCK exterior epoxy coatings that provide versatile, surface-tolerant coatings for atmospheric steel applications in tanks and basins. (www.ppgpmc. com)

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BinMaster now offers BinView, an internetbased application for remote inventory monitoring of solids or liquids contained in tanks, bins, or silos.

BinView is compatible with many of BinMaster’s sensors, as well as other sensors that have a 4-20 mA analog output or Modbus RTU. It can be used to manage multiple vessels at multiple locations. Real-time inventory management and automated alerts can be accessed onsite or remotely from a smartphone, tablet, or PC with a connection to the internet. This allows it to offer both security and control for assets and users of the application.

Automation brings centralized digital control, minimal human intervention, and faster and timelier responses, which means less time on the phone, less management of spreadsheets, fewer trips to the control room, and less time doing routine or redundant tasks.

Administrative users have the ability to set up and manage locations, gateways, and vessels, while other users may have view-only or receive alerts-only privileges. The system can also be set up so that some users have access to all sites, while others may only be able to access data for a single location. (www.binmaster.com)

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The OverWatch Direct In-Line Pump System from Industrial Flow Solutions tackles the many challenges in wastewater pumping lift station management. The system lifts influent at the point of entry, eliminating the need for a wet well. Effluent is contained, eliminating odors and reducing maintenance. The stainless steel body is designed to withstand the effects of corrosion from harsh materials and solutions, making OverWatch a solution for municipal and industrial headworks applications.

Many traditional wet well systems retain water and are plagued with odors and dangerous hydrogen sulfide gases, posing health hazards for people and causing concrete walls to erode over time. OverWatch converts an existing wet well into a dry and odorless machine room, providing a safe environment for wastewater professionals to interact with the pumping system. Influent is contained in the pipeworks, never becoming atmospheric, and hydrogen sulfide is eliminated.

The system performs all the functionality of a traditional lifting station without the need for additional equipment. Specifically designed to absorb the air/fluid mix flowing in from the gravity lines, it operates by variable-speed drives, using a sensor at the inlet combined with control panel logic to adjust in line with the incoming flow. This eliminates hydraulic surges, while automatically adapting to constantly changing flow rates. The operating mode enables materials to move through the system without causing blockages and provides a long-term durable solution, with minimal need to replace, repair, or maintain the wastewater system.

An intelligent controls algorithm makes OverWatch suitable for applications where process pumping could change drastically. Utilizing a liquid level transducer to understand the incoming flow rate, the system adjusts its performance in real time. The system has been installed in over 2,000 facilities around the world. (www.flowsolutions. com) S