CROM Restores Aged Wastewater Facility to Like-New Condition
A utility company’s Headworks facility is the very first stage and entry point of a wastewater treatment plant. It acts as the frontline of defense for the entire treatment process by removing large debris, grit, and solids before the water moves on to biological cleaning. Wastewater facilities are under constant attack from biogenic sulfuric acids. Over time, these acids and the gasses they produce cause severe degradation of concrete, metals, coatings and equipment.
In 2018, Gainesville Regional Utilities in Gainesville, Florida, commissioned an assessment of its Kanapaha Water Reclamation Facility. Since the plant’s Headworks had no redundancy to allow for it to be taken offline for more than two hours, it hadn’t been able to undergo extensive restoration in years. The assessment indicated structural repairs and recoating for the Headworks effluent boxes along with removal, restoration and reinstallation of multiple weir gates.
Through a competitive bidding process, CROM was selected to perform the complete scope of work, which included not only restoration and repairs but also a plan for keeping the plant operational. CROM safely and efficiently delivered:
- Custom-built fiberglass gates that created a bypass to allow half of the Headworks to remain in operation at a time while work was performed. Watertight seals ensured a safe, healthy and sanitary condition for our team members.
- Hydro blasting all interior surfaces to remove deteriorated and contaminated concrete
- Replacing structurally compromised reinforcing steel.
- Performing crack repair, resurfacing, and applying high-performance coatings to all concrete surfaces to restore to like-new condition.
- Removal and rehabilitation of weir gates.
- Rehabilitation of gate connection points to effluent boxes.
- Applying a complete specialty coating system, custom designed by Tnemec, for the toxic environment present in the wastewater headworks.
Through its efficient Design/Bid/Build approach, wide scope of services, innovative solutions and commitment to health and safety, CROM delivered a like-new Headworks facility while providing uninterrupted service to the Gainesville community.
