How many people does it take to wash a water tower?
John Adams Water Tower
Well the answer’s not what I thought it would be either, but the answer is two! I got the chance to go out to see how we wash our water towers and it was a very educational experience.
The John Adams water tower hold up to 500,000 gallons of water, which may seem like a lot but is far from being our largest water storage facility.
The washing of a water tower actually begins with hoisting up the 1,000 pound sprayer contraption to the top of the tower. Once that it’s in place, ropes are used to keep it level, but it’s actually controlled manually by a remote. The two sprayers can spray well over 2,000 psi, but in order to reduce the chances of removing paint from the tower, they are operated at around 1,400 psi. The sprayers are also kept a couple feet away from the tower to reduce the chances of paint removal.
Usual time to wash a complete water tower is about a day, pending weather conditions and the amount of dirt on the outside. If winds get above 20 mph, washing isn’t done due to safety concerns. Each tower is washed every three to four years.
So, now to the last question that many of you probably have. Why do we wash a water tower? The answer is pretty simple. To keep our community looking nice!
I’ve never noticed a water tower and thought it was dirty, but the next time you’re around one, check and see if you can notice if it’s just been cleaned.
remote used to control the sprayers
