28-year-old Centerville water tank focus of $1.3M county work

The structure built in 1993 is one of two water tanks on North Johanna Drive near Tower Heights Middle School, but is overdue for work, Fox said.

“The coating system on tank starting to flake off, the paint’s chipping, we’re starting to see rust spots,” he said, noting “that is longer than the typically coating lasts. Normally, you’re looking at 15 to 25 years for a coating system.”

The neighboring tank was repainted last year and will be “fully operational” during the four- to six-month project, Fox said.

Both are part of a 12-million-gallon storage system designed to maintain water pressure for area consumers, so the county does not anticipate pressure shortages as a result of the work, he added.

The tank “allows us to be much more economical with our pumping operation” and “when peak hour happens – when everybody wakes up, starts brushing their teeth, taking a shower, drinking coffee…we allow that water level to come out of the tanks. That’s providing the pressure,” Fox added.

The project is being financed through a low-interest loan awarded last week by the Ohio Water Development Authority, state records show.

The authority is loaning the county $1.55 million at 1.35% for 20 years.

County commissioners recently voted to award Viking Painting LLC a $1.379 million contract. The Omaha, Neb. business that specializes in water tower painting, maintenance and inspection was the low bidder among seven submissions, county records show.

The county estimated the work to cost about $2 million and the highest bid was $2.84 million, according to records.