Ongoing problems with Carroll-Boone clarifier plant paint job bring settlement talks to a halt

Brad Hammond of McGoodwin, Williams & Yates (MWY), the water district's consulting engineers, reported at the Jan. 21 board meeting that new problems have surfaced with the paint job completed by Evans in October 2009.

"We noticed several rust problems on the clarifier, mostly on the walls," Hammond said. "We had a Tnemec paint representative out and asked him to analyze paint batch reports. He didn't find anything wrong with the materials."

The east clarifier, which is part of the new construction on the east side of the Ark.Hwy. 187 water treatment plant, has had problems since the beginning. After construction, it was painted in 2002. Last year the paint began to come off in sheets below the waterline.

Hammond said according to the manufacturer, the paint job should have lasted 10 to 15 years. There were three possibilities as to why the paint didn't stick.

Carroll-Boone had no recourse last year at that time because the original contractor was no longer in business.

The water district hired Evans to repaint the clarifier last year. Evans was the low bid, at $50,900, $20,000 less than the next highest bidder. Evans also had a good track record.

But the job, due to be completed in June, was not completed until October, which caused the district to be subject to increased engineering costs of more than $30,000 because of inspections.

The job was bonded for two years, with an extended warranty of 50 percent for another three years.

MWY and Carroll-Boone's Chairman James Yates, along with the district's attorney, Dan Bowers, were to have met with Evans to reach a settlement agreement in October on the final payment for the job.

And then rust problems were found on the new job -- 21 days after water was put back into the clarifier.

"It's not uncommon to find spots during a warranty period, but it is uncommon to find them this soon," Hammond said. Fellow engineer Chris Hall said there are 20 visible spots, and there may be more under the blanket in the tank.

They said even though there is usually some rust on a job like this, it should not have happened this soon or this extensively.

"This is odd because it's underwater," Hall said, "and you need oxygen to have rust."

"We do a 'holiday test' to take a sponge and test for pinholes or discontinuity in the thickness of paint," Hammond said. "We did the test and didn't find discontinuity, so we don't know why this has happened."

He said he doesn't recommend draining the tank at this time because of the weather, saying they should wait until it warms up.

"There shouldn't be any problem with water quality or safety," he said.

He said Evans is committed to fixing the problems and the job is well under the two-year full warranty period.

Office Manager Jim Allison reported he and Plant Manager John Summers met with the Corps of Engineers in December about the district's request for an additional 6 mgd (million gallons per day) of water allocation. The request has been on file with the Corps for at least six years and has been bogged down in red tape.

Allison said the Corps told him the district's request is being put "back in the pot" for water allocation because two other districts -- Two Ton and Madison County -- have put in requests for additional water allocation.

Those requests exceed the total allocation allowed for drinking water in Beaver Lake.

"They have to do an allocation study," Allison. "The pool for drinking water use is at capacity with our additional 6 million gallons. They're looking at expanding the allocation for water users, which they would have to take from the power pool."

The Corps maintains the power generation level in the lake from 1077 to 1120.4 feet.

However much water is drawn from the lake by the various water districts is "forgiven" in terms of allocation in October if the lake level is at least at 1120.4 feet.

Carroll-Boone's original 6 mgd allocation, based on the original construction cost of the dam, costs about $26,000 a year, with maintenance costs of about $11,000 a year, estimated for 2010 and 2011.

Additional allocation of 6 mgd, based on what it would cost to build the dam today, could be $100,000 or more, he said. But even with additional allocation, he said maintenance costs should not be significant.

In other business, the board:

* Approved MWY to prepare a bid package for the sludge removal contract.

* Heard Summers report the district had no problems from the ice storm other than a small leak near a booster station and a station heater replacement.

* Heard Allison say the final rate increase to the cities of 5 cents per thousand gallons went into effect this month and he doesn't recommend another rate increase "for awhile."

* Decided not to refinance bonds coming due but to maintain the status quo.

The board's next meeting is scheduled for April 22.