Last week, The Sherwin-Williams Company announced via emailed press release the winners of the 2022 Water and Wastewater Impact Awards, recognizing application contractors, specifiers and owners for “excellence” on North American water and wastewater projects.

Sherwin announced the opening for submissions at the beginning of the month, covering projects from June 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022, that have used Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine coatings and linings. Eligible projects include water treatment, water storage, water transmission, sewer collection and wastewater treatment structures and are not limited to highly visible structures.

This year, first place went to the relining of a 16.5-foot-diameter penstock for the Don Pedro dam, power plant and reservoir in La Grange, California. The runner-up project was for the installation of a mile-long water main under the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway in South Carolina. Finally, the 2022 honorable mention went to the relining of the Norma Marshall Reservoir in Rancho California.

Photos: Sherwin-Williams

Last week, The Sherwin-Williams Company announced via emailed press release the winners of the 2022 Water and Wastewater Impact Awards, recognizing application contractors, specifiers and owners for “excellence” on North American water and wastewater projects.

Photos: Sherwin-Williams

Last week, The Sherwin-Williams Company announced via emailed press release the winners of the 2022 Water and Wastewater Impact Awards, recognizing application contractors, specifiers and owners for “excellence” on North American water and wastewater projects.

“We are proud to showcase these exceptional projects that help ensure access to clean water and the safe disposal of wastewater,” said Paul Trautmann, Marketing Director, Water and Wastewater, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.

“The Sherwin-Williams Impact Awards exemplify how such projects demonstrate the significant efforts and unwavering commitment of our teams across the U.S. Their creativity and dedication—and their productive relationships with contractors, specifiers and asset owners—help improve public safety and extend the lifespan of infrastructure every day and for years to come.”

According to Sherwin, a panel of experts from the water industry judged this year’s submissions based on various factors, including the complexity of the project, the obstacles surmounted by the participants, the solutions presented to the owner, the level of satisfaction achieved by all parties involved, and the project’s overall uniqueness.

First Place Winner

This project involved the relining of a 50-year-old penstock for the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts (TID and MID), by specialty contractor F.D. Thomas (FDT). The Don Pedro Dam is reportedly the tenth highest dam in California, standing at 580 feet tall, and according to the submission, engineers faced difficult conditions inside the 16.5-foot-diameter enclosed pipe, 300 feet below ground and with an added 53-degree angle drop midway through the system. Based on these considerations, a special rigging system was required for workers to perform activities from a suspended scaffolding system.

The project included the rehabilitation of 1,300 feet of pipe, as well as the removal of a thick coal tar epoxy with a red lead-based primer from the pipe walls, then prepping, cleaning and relining the structure. The crew reportedly had brief work windows of 45 days each, spread out over a two-year period to complete the project.

In the first 45-day stretch, FDT reportedly completed around 500 feet of the penstock relining in a “barely sloped” section of the pipe. After some delays caused by access needs, water infiltration and more, progress was made rapidly.

The team used automated equipment for surface preparation and coating application during that initial stretch, and then again to complete the remaining 375 feet of straight pipe, as well as 225 feet of pipe downstream from the incline. Approximately 200 feet of the lining was installed at the “drastic” 53-degree angle. Applicators reportedly sprayed the lining in one pass and built the coating to a minimum thickness of 30 mils dry film (DFT) to ensure long-term protection.

TID and MID specify the use of an ultra-high-solids epoxy amine lining, Sherwin Williams Sherplate PW epoxy. The coating, according to Sherwin, has a high film-build capability and high edge-retention capabilities, allowing it to be used in stripe coating welds, edges and corners before completing full lining applications.

The entire process reportedly took place in a confined space. Because of this, FDT had to set up various air quality, dehumidification and temperature control equipment for the conditioning of sections of the bulkheaded penstock.

Additionally, the contractor had to contain lead while removing the previous lining. To do so, crew members used robotic and manual blasting methods, collecting, sorting and disposing of the lead contaminated debris along the way.

The effort will reportedly double the life of the penstock, giving another 50 years and a lifespan of around 100, to this “crucial” element of the Don Pedro Dam while also enabling its hydroelectric power plant to “continue serving Northern California’s carbon-free clean energy needs.”

The first-place project involved the relining of a 50-year-old penstock for the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts (TID and MID), by specialty contractor F.D. Thomas (FDT).

In the first 45-day stretch, FDT reportedly completed around 500 feet of the penstock relining in a “barely sloped” section of the pipe. After some delays caused by access needs, water infiltration and more, progress was made rapidly.

The team used automated equipment for surface preparation and coating application during that initial stretch, and then again to complete the remaining 375 feet of straight pipe, as well as 225 feet of pipe downstream from the incline. Approximately 200 feet of the lining was installed at the “drastic” 53-degree angle. Applicators reportedly sprayed the lining in one pass and built the coating to a minimum thickness of 30 mils dry film (DFT) to ensure long-term protection.

TID and MID specify the use of an ultra-high-solids epoxy amine lining, Sherwin Williams Sherplate PW epoxy. The coating, according to Sherwin, has a high film-build capability and high edge-retention capabilities, allowing it to be used in stripe coating welds, edges and corners before completing full lining applications.

The entire process reportedly took place in a confined space. Because of this, FDT had to set up various air quality, dehumidification and temperature control equipment for the conditioning of sections of the bulkheaded penstock.

Additionally, the contractor had to contain lead while removing previous lining. To do so, crew members used robotic and manual blasting methods, collecting, sorting and disposing of the lead contaminated debris along the way.

The effort will reportedly double the life of the penstock, giving another 50 years and a lifespan of around 100, to this “crucial” element of the Don Pedro Dam while also enabling its hydroelectric power plant to “continue serving Northern California’s carbon-free clean energy needs.”

Runner-Up Project

To complete the installation of a nearly mile-long new water transmission line under the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway near Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina, contractor Quality Enterprises USA, Inc., reportedly used horizontal directional drilling (HDD), also referred to as directional boring, to bore under the waterway and “pull the pre-assembled pipe through.”

According to the submission, the tunnel required over 5,000 linear feet of pipe to cross the waterway and sat at a maximum depth of 90 feet. The project, in total, reportedly included about 430 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron pipe (DIP), 92 linear feet of 12-inch DIP and 5,180 linear feet of 18-inch steel water main.

The project team required an exterior coating system for the steel pipe that could protect against corrosion, handle the “harsh environment” to underground service and that could be trusted to stay effective, regardless of incurring inevitable damage while the pipe was being pulled though. The coatings also reportedly had to offer flexibility for installation, not cracking or allowing the penetration of moisture.

Contractors were tasked with the installation of a nearly mile-long new water transmission line under the Ben Sawyer Intracoastal Waterway.

Industrial contractor MCIP Industrial Enterprises Corp. abrasive blast-cleaned the steel to an SSPC SP-10/NACE No. 2 finish on the inside and outside diameter of each pipe. Applicators reportedly then moved each pipe into the application booth for coating.

For the interior, MCIP reportedly used Sherplate PW liquid epoxy, a 100%-solids epoxy that met the minimum 25-mil DFT requirements, using automated sprayers. The “ultra-high-solids” epoxy amine coating is reportedly made for immersion service in potable water pipes for protection.

Additionally, the interior pipes received a similar spray of 20 mils DFT of PipeClad 2000 Fusion-Bonded Epoxy (FBE) coating. This was reportedly immediately followed by a 40-mil DFT coat of PipeClad 2040 Flex Abrasion Resistant Overcoat (ARO).

Interior girth welds reportedly received 25 mils DFT of Sherplate PW liquid epoxy. A remote blast head was first used to clean the interior welds and hold back areas before a remote sprayer was used to line the areas.

The water main was staged and welded along a municipal road before being installed underground. The installation crew reportedly applied 60 mils of PipeClad 5000 liquid epoxy by brush and roller for exterior girth welds.

Additionally, a bored hole reportedly provided harsh conditions for coating, resulting in a need to stand up to scouring as the pipe “slid past sharp rocks and earth along its nearly mile-long journey,” under the waterway.

The rapid succession of coating applications reportedly helped create a stronger “interlocking bond” between the two layers. Additionally, the two-layer powder system, according to the report, provided a robust protective coating to the outside of the pipes. The powder reportedly helped stave off and prevent damage from storage, transit, construction and service.

The project reportedly cost $8.5 million and took 10 months to complete. The project was completed on budget and on time. Additionally, an extensive restoration effort added new landscaping and streetscaping features.

Engineering firm Hussey Gay Bell also reportedly provided engineering support for the project.

Honorable Mention

Finally, the honorable mention project was awarded to the refurbishment of the Rancho California Water District’s Norma Marshall reservoir in southern California, an above-ground, welded steel tank that holds around 4.8 million gallons and is 164 feet in diameter with a 34-foot shell height.

The reservoir was constructed in 1982 and had last been recoated in 2008. The district had reportedly faced delamination, blistering and deterioration of the coatings, which compromised the integrity and longevity of the steel tank.

Finally, the honorable mention project was awarded to the refurbishment of the Rancho California Water District’s Norma Marshall reservoir in southern California.

Removing old coatings was reportedly challenging, which led California-based contractor, Advanced Industrial Services Inc., to use air-powered chippers for getting under the coating and removing it. Crewmembers then dry blasted the interior surfaces to the SSPC-SP 10/NACE No. 2 standard to leave the surface free of coatings and residue with a minimum of 2-mil profile.

Interior reservoir surfaces such as the roof, shell and floor, edges, nuts, bolts and similar connections were sprayed with a topcoat of Sherplate PW, a two-component, edge-retentive, low volatile organic compound (VOC)-rated, low odor, ultra-high-solids epoxy amine coating.

After that, applicators brushed on a stripe of Dura-Plate UHS Primer, at 4 to 8 mils DFT. The primer was applied to welding seams, edges, angles, bolts, and other critical areas.

Additionally, crewmembers applied two coats to the roof and rafters for protection and one coat to the floor and shell. Each coat was applied at a thickness of 24 to 36 mils DFT. Application to these sections reportedly ensured the tank’s “long-lasting durability and uninterrupted service.”

Sherwin’s tech reps reportedly assisted the application crew by setting up two plural component pumps on-ratio, using transfer pumps to pull the coatings directly from the drums. This setup reportedly allowed applicators to reach the tank’s upper “nooks and crannies” with ease. Additionally, tech reps also provided consumables such as spray tips and housing, as well as instructing water district personnel on the ease of repairing any nicks or damages to the coatings.

The tank also reportedly needed protection for an “intricate system of internal piping,” in need of additional care during surface preparation and coating application. Before interior blasting began, contractors reportedly used small mobile cranes to remove the interior mixing system’s piping. Afterwards, the team cleaned, prepared and coated the components outside the tank before installing them.

The project took four months and was completed in mid-2021 using Sherplate PW on the tank interior. This project reportedly brought the tank into compliance with new NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 standards for potable water, taking effect nearly a year and a half early in Jan. 2023.

The standards reportedly contributed to the decision to use Sherplate PW instead of “traditional solvent rich epoxies,” that would require two thin coats and a longer dry time. In most areas of the Norma Marshall Reservoir, applicators could apply the coating thicker in a single layer.

An owner-led inspection reports to confirm the thickness of the coatings, finding only three holidays.

2021 Impact Awards

In June of last year, Sherwin announced the winners of its 2021 Impact Awards.

First place was awarded to the relining of a 1.3-mile-long penstock for the Devil Canyon Powerplant in San Bernardino, California. The runner-up project was the restoration of five surface water storage tanks in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and the 2021 honorable mention went to the restoration of an elevated water storage tank that celebrates actor Andy Griffith.

“The 2021 Sherwin-Williams Impact Award winners faced a range of difficult challenges, while successfully overcoming them to extend the service lives of critical infrastructure assets. That’s the kind of dedication we look forward to honoring each year via the program,” said Bryan Draga, Global Vice President – Marketing, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.

“These winners have found optimal solutions to water and wastewater challenges that save time, labor and precious municipal budget dollars—not only in the execution of the coatings projects but also over the long term as these applied systems continue to prevent corrosion and enhance aesthetics.”

The 2021 first-place project at the Devil Canyon Powerplant was profiled in-depth in a June 2022 JPCL feature article.