Inspection report for existing water tower - what next?

[Dennis59]

Inspection company wrote up a report on a 1960's vintage elevated steel water storage tank. Long laundry list of items that need to be done to bring tank into compliance with AWWA, OSHA, etc.
My question is - how do I find out how many of the items on the list are really required and how many are not really applicable to an older existing tower? Does every owner of a water tower need to keep everything in compliance with whatever the most recent code dictates?
It would no doubt be best to do all the items, but Owner has limited budget.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!

 

[JedClampett]

You need some method of prioritizing the work. For instance, if the vent is plugged with dirt, that might fail the tank during a sudden drawdown and is very cheap to fix. Problems affecting water quality and tank integrity might be first in line with cosmetic items last. Note that paint might not be a cosmetic item.
Hire a tank consultant to prioritze this work. There are a couple that visit these sites.

 

[JStephen]

We can't really say without knowing what the list includes.

First, check what your legal requirements are for the tank. For example, in Texas, the TCEQ regulates water tanks, and has certain items that have to updated when you repaint a tank (larger manways quite often). And certain other items have stricter requirements than when most tanks were built (vent overhang, for example). But you need to determine these requirements for your location. Generally, tanks will be required to be maintained per AWWA standards, but not necessarily updated to current requirements.

I can think of items that would fall into the following category:

-Structurally necessary repairs- corroded sway rods, etc. This work should be done.

-Structural upgrades- typically seismic upgrades to meet newer estimates of seismic loading. The necessity of this being done is dependent upon the consequences of the tank failing.

-Optional repairs- pit welding of minor pits, for example- could be omitted if desired.

-Upgrades to meet current OSHA requirements- raising handrail, putting wider ladders on, adding safety climb rails, etc. A thorny issue. OSHA doesn't generally go around citing cities for unsafe water towers. However, the OSHA rules are based on (old) ANSI standards, and represent "industry practice". If you have someone fall off a ladder or balcony, and it can be shown that the construction didn't meet normal safety practices, I would think you'd open up a lot of liability.

-Upgrades to meet current AWWA requirements- Vent modifications, manway sizes, etc. Would depend on legal requirements as to whether these kinds of changes were required.

-Upgrades for liability- ladder gates, etc. A judgment call.

Perhaps if you could list a few of the items you see as most useless, we could offer some comments on them.