Category Archives: Water

An Epoxy Coating that Works TOO Well

Coatings, Wastewater Industry, Water,

water treatment plantPermaSafe 100 is one of Induron’s most popular, toughest products for protecting waste water treatment plants. In fact, it has actually proved to be almost too tough for comfort!

We once worked with a contractor who applied it on a water treatment plant, and while it was approved and looked good, the owners decided that it needed to be removed because it was a different product than was originally specified. They wanted to use a different generic polyurea, rather than an epoxy, so the PermaSafe 100 had to be removed. However, neither the owners of the water treatment plant nor the painter understood just how well PermaSafe 100 bonds to concrete and steel. Continue reading An Epoxy Coating that Works TOO Well →

Cogeneration: A win-win

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By Hayne Crum, Induron Chemist

I recently read an interesting article at Environmental Expert about a wastewater treatment facility in Adelaide, Australia, that uses cogeneration to reduce emissions AND produce needed energy.

Typically, water and wastewater treatment facilities have very long lifetimes (50+ years). In the Adelaide facility case, gases – mostly methane – from the waste treatment are being used to generate energy to run the plant. This kind ofcogeneration has been around for a while, but is picking up steam. (Pun intended!)

In this instance, the cogeneration saves the plant money by changing its capital cost and reducing the plant’s energy costs. In fact, with this system, the plant can pay for its generators in just eight years. Additionally, the cogeneration prevents methane from escaping into the air. Methane is more than 100 times the greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide is, which means it is much worse for the environment.

The capital costs of implementing cogeneration are high. However, the procedure pays for itself, or even makes a profit, IF the facility lasts ONLY least eight years. Induron makes paint that protects the piping and holding tanks for this type of facility, helping them run more efficiently and last longer. We recommend using Permaclean 100, or Ceramsafe 90. Both are green products because they are free of HAPS (Hazardous Air Polutants) and VERY low in VOC content, with PermaClean 100 being 100% solids and the Cermansafe having a VOC of 81 gm/l. These products have life expectancies of 15+ years when used per our recommendations.  This means you get 7+ years of profit from the generators even before you repaint the pipes or tanks! Continue reading Cogeneration: A win-win →

The Silver Lining

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

I’ve heard it said that it is often darkest right before the dawn. I’ve also heard that every cloud has a silver lining. In this article from the May 2012 edition of Municipal Water & Sewer, the City of Americus, GA, learned that even during hard times – such as rebuilding from the destruction of a tornado – efficiencies and improvements can be made.

Instead of taking the easy route and just rebuilding what had “always been there,” the City of Americus actually took a step back, hired an engineering consultant and had their entire water system put through a Hydraulic Modeling process. The results revealed several previously forgotten about underground water pipes, unknown valves (some of which were closed) and realization that some of the existing pipe was significantly undersized. This modeling allowed the city to not only replace what was damaged in the storm, but provided information used to build a new water infrastructure system that would assist in growth and “provide greater certainty in day-to-day operations.” Continue reading The Silver Lining →

Water (tanks), Water (tanks) Everywhere!

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By Davies Hood, Induron President

I remember well my first site visit to an elevated water tank painting project. I was driving down the road with an older salesman who was pointing out all of the different styles of water tanks.

We saw fluted column tanks (large flashlights), standpipes (tall, skinny tanks w/ out legs), Taurus-bottom tanks (made famous being depicted as aliens in George Orwell’s War of the Worlds) and a couple of single pedestal tanks (golf ball on a tee).

I suddenly realized that the paint being applied to all of these tanks was not being applied very close to the ground. After getting over the first round of nausea caused by my deep rooted fear of heights, I started thinking about the “how” part of the equation, as in, “how the heck do they paint up there?”

Motorized pick-boards, baskets and Bozeman’s Chairs on rope falls were the answer. I then saw this cool invention. This motorized chair looks like a great way for our high-work customers to save time and improve worker safety. It also provides a very good reminder of just how much intestinal fortitude some of Induron’s customers have!

Founded in 1947, Induron manufactures high performance coatings that serve a range of industrial applications, including the wastewater, transmission and distribution and groundwater storage industries. Learn more about us at www.Induron.com.  

Induron: Rescuing Tanks from Kids with Rocks

Coatings, Water, , , ,

By: Linc York, Induron Sales Representative

Boys will be boys. And boys will throw rocks.

In Olathe, Kansas, those thrown rocks turned into a huge recoating project when the city planned to coat their 4.5 million-gallon standpipe, called Black Bob 2. Because the tank is located in a busy city park, some of the town’s youngsters threw rocks at it, chipping off the paint and causing corrosion and undercutting. Continue reading Induron: Rescuing Tanks from Kids with Rocks →

Too Many Zeros

Induron In the News, Wastewater Industry, Water, , ,

By Davies Hood, Induron Executive Vice President

Today’s economy is tough. Money is hard to come by in both the public and private sectors. And while you and I are trying to make ends meet and ride out the economic storm, the politicians in Washington are gearing up for “another” election cycle that seems to be another excuse for inaction.

All the while, our nation’s aging water infrastructure – much of which was installed at the turn of the 20th century – continues to deteriorate. But there’s an article entitled “Water Infrastructure Could Burden U.S. Economy, Report Claims” in the January 2012 issue of WaterWorld that puts the cold hard numbers to repair cost. Continue reading Too Many Zeros →

Shocking Sewage Statistics (and unrelenting puns)

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By Davies Hood, Induron Executive Vice President

Most anything can be proven using statistics. I recently ran across a couple of quotes that essentially say just that:

“Be able to analyze statistics, which can be used to support or undercut almost any argument.”  Marilyn vos Savant

“I can prove anything by statistics except the truth.” George Canning

 

“Anything people put in quotes and include on Facebook is automatically taken as the gospel truth.” George Washington (it’s possible that I just made that one up)

I was startled recently by a few statistics that were used in Ted J. Rulseh’s letter from the editor in the January edition of Municipal Sewer & Water titled “Second Rate?”

Rulseh brings up the fact that, “Every year, sewer overflows contaminate U.S. waters with 860 BILLION gallons of untreated sewage, an amount that could fill 1.3 million Olympic-size swimming pools Continue reading Shocking Sewage Statistics (and unrelenting puns) →

We ‘Spec It’s Time to Save Some Money

Wastewater Industry, Water, , , ,
By Linc York, Induron Sales Representative

You’ve got a project. You’re creating a specification. Induron wants to be part of that spec, and we’ll almost always save you or your client money and make your project easier.

It’s that simple.

At Induron, we do more than just manufacture protective coatings. We are dead serious about building relationships (our boss Davies wrote about this in a previous blog post) that can turn into real, tangible savings for you and your client. So, how can a spec save you money or even make your project easier? Continue reading We ‘Spec It’s Time to Save Some Money →