All pictures and words © 2000 Mark Bealer
The process of repainting a water tower that is 120 feet tall, 75 feet across at the top and stores 1,000,000 gallons of water is daunting to think about.
ÒAfter a day of painting I see everything in one colorÓ declared Scott Leeds of Cincinnati.
Section by section 26 tons of fine steel grit was used by the work crew to sand blast old paint off this water tower located off I-75 next to the construction site of the Butler County Regional Highway. It took 650 gallons of paint to do the outside, and 750 gallons of lining for the bowl, according to Pete Batsakis, owner of United Painters Inc. of Cincinnati.
They started working on the tower in January, blasting and painting inside the water bowl, but didnÕt start on the exterior until September. A drapery like Òcontainment systemÓ hung from the top by welded ÒoutriggersÓ which encircled the entire tower. This they lowered up and down as they sandblasted the exterior keeping the minute particles from the air.
Butler County will begin construction of a new 2,000,0000 gallon tower across the interstate from this one next year. Even still, plans are being drawn for Butler CountyÕs 10th water tower, of a yet undetermined size, to be built in the center of the county.