One of the most important things a water utility can do is an annual water tank inspection on all potable water storage tanks in the system including both ground and elevated storage. Without proper inspections, the tanks often go out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Inspection should include all AWWA inspection points and a good look at the interior. The traditional way to do this is to remove the tank from service and drain the water. This is extremely labor intensive and often requires smaller communities to be without water for an extended period of time.
Custom water tank underwater inspection camera and lighting system.
Water tank inspection contractors often use a remote underwater camera, a remotely operated underwater vehicle, or a commercial diver to perform this task. Following AWWA guidelines all equipment is washed down with a 200ppm chlorine solution before entering the water system. Once inside the underwater cameras can get a good look at corrosion and sediment that may be hidden underwater. Using an inspection contractor allows the treated drinking water to stay in the tank and any disruption is reduced to a bare minimum.
In Texas, all potable water storage tanks are required to be inspected inside and out. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), mandates that under Texas Administrative code 290.46 water utilities in Texas are required to perform an annual inspection of each storage facility in their system with a utility employee or a contracted inspection service. The basic inspection form can be found here: TCEQ Tank Inspection Form.
On the form under WATER QUALITY,” the form asks if there are Insects, floating debris, or sediment on the bottom of the tank. While you may be able to see the bottom on smaller tanks, the majority would need to be drained or deploy some type of underwater camera to get a good look at the floor. Inspection contractors like Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. offer some innovative tools to get inspections done with no disruption in service at all. From remotely controlled underwater cameras that can get a good look to see what is on the floor of the tank, to Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) that are able to swim to the back of a larger facility so no part of the tank has been unchecked. All of our reports include photos of every inspection point and interior photos and video. With our specially designed camera and lighting system, we are able to get a good look at the interior roof. This is a key inspection point and often has the most corrosion that we find on the facility. Our underwater camera is lowered into the tank taking a look at what is going on just under the waterline and lower wall areas. Finally, the floor comes into view and we are able to estimate sediment levels in the tank. Larger facilities often need to use the ROV to reach the back side of the tank or look at a specific area thought to have a problem.
Ron and Robert Perrin holding a DEEP TREKKER Remotely Operated Vehicle at the U.S. Coast Guard Facility on Galveston Island.
It is extremely important to monitor sediment levels in water storage tanks. Sediment can be a breeding ground for bacteria, protozoa, and even viruses. When our inspection discovers sediment is starting to build up we can document what is going on with underwater photos and video. We then include a proposal to send our potable water dive team back to remove the sediment. This can also be done with minimal water loss and no disruption in service.
Sediment is being removed from a small ground tank by a potable water diver working inside the tank.
Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. has been serving the needs of water utilities since 1997. We are here to help. Give us a call for a free inspection or cleaning proposal. Our toll-free # is 1-888-481-1768; Or our local number at 817-377-4899; or email Robert at perrinsales@gmail.com.
Our potable water dive crew is one of the best ways to keep your water storage tanks clean and healthy. The diver is sealed in his own environment and washed down with a chlorine solution to meet USEPA and state water quality standards. The diver is then able to move about the tank freely allowing him to do an inspection, clean the floor or perform other needed tasks. Check out our Facebook page to see a video of this tank being cleaned https://www.facebook.com/ronperrinwatertech.
Since 1997 we have been inspecting and cleaning water storage tanks and towers. Our methods and procedures save millions of gallons of treated drinking water every month by allowing tanks to be inspected and cleaned while they remain in service.
Custom-built underwater camera and lighting system
Our custom-built underwater camera and lighting system is one of the best values in the industry allowing tanks to be inspected inside and out with no human entry. This saves water utilities time and money while delivering an informative inspection report that exceeds state documentation standards. An annual inspection that covers the interior of the tank all the way down to the sediment levels is one of the best ways to keep up with the health of your water system. For larger tanks, we also have several Remotely Controlled Vehicles (ROVs) that we can deploy when needed. The ROV is also equipped with an underwater lighting system that has the added benefit of being able to navigate to the rear of a large tank or look at specific areas you may want to document. You can see a short video of our ROV service here: https://youtu.be/21z5nbx2-R8. If your ground or elevated storage tanks need to be cleaned our potable water dive crew is a great way to get that done with no disruption in service and minimal water loss. If you have a standpipe with a water depth deeper than 50 feet we recommend WALLIE.
Wallie is what we call our standpipe cleaning robot. Capable of working at depths of 165 feet Wallie can stay down as long as it takes to get the job done right. He is equipped with two video cameras and a lighting system to allow the operator to see what he is doing. This also allows us to record the cleaning and document the final result for our customers. You can see Wallie in action here: https://youtu.be/7bFqEW_x_fo. If you have a water storage tank please give us a call to get a free inspection or cleaning quote. Our toll-free number is: 1-888-481-1768, in the DFW area call: 817-377-4899 or e-mail Robert at perrinsales@gmail.com.
Sep 26, 2020 Texas residents warned of tap water tainted with brain-eating microbe. Texas officials have warned residents of some communities near Houston to stop using tap water because it might be tainted with a deadly brain-eating microbe.
The Guardian Reported:
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) warned the Brazosport Water Authority late on Friday of the potential contamination of its water supply by Naegleria fowleri.
The commission issued an advisory warning people not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets in Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg.
Those communities are home to about 120,000 people. Also affected are the Dow Chemical works in Freeport, which has 4,200 employees, and the Clemens and Wayne Scott state prison units, which have 2,345 inmates and 655 employees.
The advisory will remain in place until the Brazosport authority’s water system has been thoroughly flushed and tests on water samples show the system’s water is safe to use. It said in a statement that it was unclear how long it would be before the tap water was safe.
With everything going on last year I missed this story. My take on this story is one of the reasons I got into diving water tanks in the first place. To explain why this story made me think about how I came to build a company that puts divers into water storage tanks I need to tell you something about myself and even about my parents.
In the early 1990s I was working as a Texas police officer, and my passion was SCUBA Diving. My love of SCUBA Diving goes back even farther. My dad was Charles B. Perrin, he passed in 2016 at the age of 78. He claims to have purchased the first Aqua-Lung in Fort Worth in the mid 1950’s. He had to order it from a welding supply long before the first SCUBA store opened in Texas. Both my mom and dad spent time water-skiing and SCUBA diving on Possum Kingdom Lake (PK) west of Fort Worth on the Brazos River. They were both civil servants: my dad worked for the IRS and my Mom was an Executive for the Corps of Engineers. Raising their family in the 60’s-80″s this solid middle class income gave them enough extra money to not only afford to give us a great middle class lifestyle, it also allowed them to purchase a second home, something that seems out of reach for most of us today.
They purchased a lake house on Possum Kingdom Lake (PK) where I spent most of the weekends of my youth. Even before they purchased the first lake property my dad had taken me out to PK in a small fishing boat with his one set of Scuba Gear and instructed me how to SCUBA dive. In 1971, I was 12 years old. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) was not even founded until 1966. My dad predated standard training practices that would come along after his diving years were done. With no formal courses available my parents taught themselves how to dive with the help of “The Skin Diver” (later renamed Skin Diver Magazine). Sea Hunt starring Lloyd Bridges*, was also a favorite TV program in our home. I personally would not get formally trained and certified until the early 1980’s.
Charles Perrin – Possum Kingdom Lake
I can still remember my first dive. I was so excited. It was a clear summer day and our 14′ “Little Dude” fiberglass fishing boat was anchored in a remote area over crystal clear water about 10′ deep. I put dad’s tank, mask and fins on just like Lloyd Bridges. I checked the regulator which gave me that great scuba diving sound as cold compressed air shot into my mouth from the 72 cubic inch steel tank strapped to my back. I sat on the side of the boat and dad explained to me how to make entry by going over backwards.
“Hold on to your mask,” he said as he pushed me over the side. The water was cold on my hot sun soaked skin, my heart rate shot up and I was breathing was as rapid as I could breath! I was sure I was going to die as I tried to get my head above water. Turning myself around underwater I shot back to the surface with all my strength but I was stopped by my dad putting his hand on my head and holding me underwater until my breathing finally slowed down and my initial panic subsided. My dad was the worst SCUBA instructor ever! Despite that first dive experience that could best be described as violent or even brutal, I fell in love with diving. By the time I was 14 I was exploring the lake on my own spearfishing in the many coves and inlets. I never had a buddy to dive with but I always had a sharp knife in case I got tanged in an abandoned trout line that seemed to be everywhere I wanted to dive.
Growing up on the lake the brain-eating ameba Naegleria fowleri is something I have been aware of most of my life at least as far back as I can remember. Diving and Water Skiing were my favorite things to do on the lake. In late summer the river flow would slow down. The water going through the dam would be reduced and water become more stagnant. At the same time the hot summer sun warms the water. Naegleria fowleri loves warm water and in late summer Texas lake water gets very warm. I remember news stories from water skiers (usually teenaged children) getting the organism in their nose and dying from it, going back to my teenage years. When the lake level went down too low we stopped diving and water skiing.
When cooler weather arrives in mid September, Naegleria fowlerilies dormant in the sediment at the bottom of lakes and riverbeds, which is why experts advise that you not stir up any more of that sludge/sediment than necessary. First discovered in 1899, Naegleria fowleri is a protist pathogen, known to infect the central nervous system and produce primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
In 1991 I discovered that the American Water Works Association had a standard to put scuba divers into drinking water. Using a drysuit and a full face mask, a diver could be totally isolated from the water supply. To meet the standard that has been adopted by the USEPA and TCEQ the diver must also be washed down with a 200ppm chlorine solution. Taking the tank out of service and then decontaminating the entire facility with very expensive and time consuming super chlorination procedure. Decontamination of the diver is much more economical. In addition other advantages are the diver can move around all underwater areas. Equipped with a good underwater lighting and camera system the diver can document the condition of the facility and deliver a great inspection report with no water loss or disruption in service. After I mastered diving in potable water I saw a common problem potable water tanks have – over time, sediment collects on the floor of tanks.
I read everything I could about tank sediment. In 1990 the National Drinking Water Advisory Council stated that drinking water contamination from bacteria, protozoa and viruses may be the biggest challenge for drinking water professionals in the future. The future is here, over time almost all tanks collect sediment. Tank sediment can be a safe habitat for a wide host of microbes including crypto andNaegleria fowleri.
When I ask about sediment removal I was told the standard method was a bucket and a shovel. We immediately started working on a better way. First using some methods developed for moving sand to look for treasure off-shore a much simpler method was developed by 1999. We now use a 3″ trash pump to clean most ground storage tanks and with water towers we simply use gravity to create all the suction we need to quickly remove sediment from the floor of the tank. Cleaning water storage tanks is not as common as you may think. Our company inspects over seven hundred tanks a year. Every week we find tanks that have never been cleaned. Currently there are no USEPA rules on when tanks should be cleaned. Texas has administrative rules under 290.46 requiring all potable water storage to be inspected annually. However, Texas along with most other states, have no rules on how often water storage tanks should be cleaned. The interior of water tanks often remain, “Out-of-sight and out-of-mind”.
Photo: Potable Water Diver wearing a dry suit and Kirby Morgan B-17 Diving Helmet
KEEPING WATER STORAGE TANKS CLEAN IS IMPORTANT
This story is about communities on the lower part of the Brazos River that have hadNaegleria fowleriturn up in their drinking water system. The standard remediation for this is often to perform a chlorine burn that increases the chlorine to a high level. This kills all contaminants it comes into contact with. So everything on the surface in the water system that is underwater, including all tanks and water mains is sanitized. But what about the contaminants that remain hidden under a layer of sediment in the water storage tank? Administrators often are unaware of any tank sediment that may still be lurking in water storage tanks again, Out-of-sight and out-of- mind. The chlorine burn will kill all contaminants on the surface of the sediment. This is why proper tank inspections that can determine the actual sediment levels are so important. One half to three inches of sediment is very common. Without removing the sediment, contaminants remain in the tank and will continue to be a problem in the future. All water storage tanks should be on a cleaning schedule. Some tanks may need to be cleaned annually while others may be able to be on a three or five year program.
Photo Above: Remotely controlled Cleaning Robot being deployed on a 158′ standpipe water storage tank
First established in 1997, Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. has been a leader in the underwater inspection and cleaning of water storage tanks and towers. We offer three different inspection methods: 1) remote camera, 2) Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and 3) Potable Water Diver. Our divers are commercially trained from great schools like The Ocean Corporation where I serve on the Educational Advisory Board. We offer diver cleaning with no disruption in service and minimal water loss on ground and elevated tanks. For standpipes over 70 feet tall we have a Robot Cleaning Service.
See more about what we do and how we do it at our website at: www.ronperrin.com.
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*Sea Hunt is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. Click Hear to watch Sea Hunt
Other References:
Naegleria fowleri is responsible for the death of a 6-year-old boy in Lake Jackson, Texas, and environmental officials say the city will be fighting the pathogen for monthsTPO ARTICLE HERE.
Sediment on the interior floor of a water storage tank is a breach and can be a serious threat to pubic health. Bacteria, protozoa and even viruses have been found to use tank sediment as a safe habitat.
Keeping your tanks clean will help keep your water system safe. Are your tanks and towers on a cleaning schedule? We want to help you keep your water tanks and towers clean and healthy! Do not allow dirt that builds up on the floor of your potable water storage tanks to be a safe habitat to grow Giardia, Legionella or viruses like Norovirus. Our water tank and tower cleaning rates are affordable and we have special pricing for tiny tanks under 10,000 gallons.
Check out our new video series on YouTube. Tap-Talk explores our water distribution systems as we take you along and let you see what we see as we inspect and clean municipal water storage tanks. Our cameras let you see what is inside, we never reveal the utility we are working for or our exact location unless our customer gives us permission. Episode #1 is posted below, less than six minutes, I explain what we do and how we do it, talk about my background and what led me to start my company in 1997.
Episode Two:
There is a serious danger lurking in many water systems. Join me, along with microbiologists and a former EPA drinking water chief as they discuss the problem. If you like this video please give us a thumbs up and SHARE it! It is important that water utility managers understand the importance of keeping water storage tanks clean. PLEASE SHARE!
Episode Three:
Wallie is a Deep Trekker DT640VAC robot crawler we use to clean water storage tanks that have deep water. The Deep Trekker DT640 robot crawler can work it water up to 165 feet deep. To see more check out our blog at http://www.tankdiver.us. To contact our office please call 817-377-4899 or contact Robert at perrinsales@gmail.com
Want More? This video is a 15 minute look back at some of the jobs we have done over the past three years.
Since 1997 we have been inspecting and cleaning potable water storage tanks and towers. Our crews take hundreds and often over a thousand photos a week. Of course, most are a little on the boring side documenting the inspection points of water tanks and towers. Occasionally we turn the cameras on ourselves as we do the work and those are the photos I use to promote our service.
Every time I see this photo I think about how it nails down what we do. I think it was the best of 2020. It is one of our divers cleaning a GST potable water storage facility. The tanks are always a lot cleaner when we are done, about half way through you can see a lot of sediment on the floor and less that perfectly clear water, it is a real working photo, not something produced in perfect pool water conditions.
Here are some other photos I found to be impressive in 2020 I hope you like them too.
Our goal is to get people thinking about their water, and allow utility officials to understand the choices they have when it comes to inspecting and cleaning potable water storage tanks and towers.
“Wallie” is our DT640 VAC Deep Trekker Crawler Robot that we have purchased to clean standpipes. Standpipes typically have deeper water than other potable water storage tanks, with water depth often over 100 feet. Wallie can operate safely in water up to 168 feet deep. This will be a big asset to water utilities that do not want to take their standpipe out of service to remove the sediment from the floor of the tank.
It is important to keep potable water storage tanks and towers clean. Sediment builds up over time. A layer of sediment in your water storage tank or tower may allow bacteria, protozoa, viruses or other organisms to get a foothold in your water storage tank, grow, and become a community health problem.
Keeping your tank clean will also save you money! Our customers report that they use less chlorine to meet water quality standards after we clean their storage facility.
Since 1997, Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. has been a leader in underwater inspections and tank cleanings. We offer a wider range of inspection and cleaning choices depending on your needs. Our underwater inspections may be performed with a Remote Underwater Video Camera, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), or for the most detail, we also offer a Diver Inspection. We have a Small Tank Cleaning Service for tanks from 1,000 to 10,000 gallons, Robot Cleaning for Standpipes and our Potable Water Dive Crew is a good fit for most other facilities. Call today for a free quote: 1-888-481-1768.
Since 1997 Ron Perrin Water Technologies, Inc. has been a leader in the inspection and cleaning of potable water storage tanks and towers.
Sediment removal from water tower.
We serve municipal water utilities, federal parks and prisons and private industry. We deploy underwater cameras or remotely operated vehicles to perform inspections of drinking water tanks.
Our methods save our customers millions of gallons of treated drinking water every year. If the facility needs to be cleaned our potable water dive team can remove tank sediment with minimal water loss and little to no disruption in service.
Sediment on the interior floor of a water storage tank is a breach and can be a serious threat to pubic health. Bacteria, protozoa and even viruses have been found to use tank sediment as a safe habitat.
Keeping your tanks clean will help keep your water system safe. Are your tanks and towers on a cleaning schedule? We want to help you keep your water tanks and towers clean and healthy! Do not allow dirt that builds up on the floor of your potable water storage tanks to be a safe habitat to grow Giardia, Legionella or viruses like Norovirus. Our water tower cleaning rates start at only $2,450.00. Affordable protection for your water storage tanks affordable safety for the people you serve.
Sediment on the floor of your water storage tank is a Breach in your system. The more sediment you have in your water storage tanks the bigger your risk for having a water-related contaminant issue. Tank sediment builds up over time and can provide a wide range of contaminants including viruses a way to get a foothold in your water system. The tank sediment can provide a safe habitat allowing a small number of bacteria or viruses to quickly grow into the billions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a guidance and fact sheet on transmission of the novel coronavirus in water.
THE GOOD: The agency stated: “Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.”
THE BAD: The fact is other viruses are found in drinking water, in fact you will find them in the top ten contaminants. Including Hepatitis A, a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), and Norovirus. A very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Conventional water treatment methods should also prevent these viruses from contaminating drinking water systems but they remain in the top ten of drinking water-related contaminants.
Here is the top ten list of Water-related Diseases and Contaminants the CDC found in in Public Water Systems.
The United States has one of the safest public drinking water supplies in the world. Over 286 million Americans get their tap water from a community water system (1). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates drinking water quality in public water systems and sets maximum concentration levels for water chemicals and pollutants.
Sources of drinking water are subject to contamination and require appropriate treatment to remove disease-causing contaminants. Contamination of drinking water supplies can occur in the source water as well as in the distribution system after water treatment has already occurred. There are many sources of water contamination, including naturally occurring chemicals and minerals (for example, arsenic, radon, uranium), local land use practices (fertilizers, pesticides, concentrated feeding operations), manufacturing processes, and sewer overflows or wastewater releases.
The presence of contaminants in water can lead to adverse health effects, including gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people whose immune systems are compromised because of AIDS, chemotherapy, or transplant medications, may be especially susceptible to illness from some contaminants.
Top 10 Causes – Outbreaks in Public Water Systems*
Giardia
Legionella
Norovirus
Shigella
Campylobacter
Copper
Salmonella
Hepatitis A
Cryptosporidium
E. coli, excess fluoride (tie)
Here are a few things to consider when shopping for a contractor to perform work in a potable water storage tank.
Look for a specialist
Check photos on their web site
Check references
Require an insurance certificate
Proper training for employees performing work
Specialist: We live in an age of specialist. As a rule Specialist know their topic inside and out. When contracting a company to enter your potable water system it is better to deal with a contractor who is focused on entering potable water systems. Companies who do nothing but service potable water systems are more likely to have equipment only used in potable water system. Specialist in potable water work are also more likely to have disinfection procedures and a disinfection solution that meets AWWA standards. When it is your business to do it you are just more likely to do it right.
Photos: No matter what you see on advertisements, or told on the phone, a quick check of a companie’s web site can quickly show you what their focus is on. Many diving contractors are simply focused on Diving. Potable water diving may just be one of the things on their long list of things they do to make money diving. If the photos on their web sight show diving in lakes, rivers, and streams you need to trust them to somehow clean their equipment enough to enter your water system. Like they say, a photo is worth a million words. Some contractors say they have reserved equipment they only use in potable water. However, the photos on their own web site may show they actually use the same gear to do all diving services. If you can find a company that specializes in potable water diving, the photos on their web site should confirm that claim, not dispute it.
References: If a company has been working for more than a week or two, they should have references. Ask for a list of customers that you may be allowed to contact. Another way to check references is by looking at their company Facebook page, or the owner’s linked-in page.
Insurance: Ask for a certificate of insurance sent from the companies insurance agent. Do not accept a certificate sent directly from the contractor. It is just too easy to change dates or fabricate the certificate from scratch. Make sure the contractor has Liability, workers comp and commercial auto. While they are all important, the workers comp may be the most difficult and expensive for the contractor to acquire. Climbing and diving into potable water storage tanks and towers is “high risk contracting” by any measure. If an accident occurs, and the contractor is not covered by his own workers compensation insurance, the customer will be liable for the injured employee.
Training: High risk contracting may only be done safely if the contractor has required before employment, or taken the time to send each and every employee on the job site proper training. The majority, if not all diving contractors, require that divers have diving certifications before employment is offered. Beyond dive training, employees should also have documentation showing they have had both Confined Space and Fall Protection training.
Photo: Len Pardee is the Lead Tank Inspector for Ron Perrin Water Technologies. Len has a degree in Environmental Engineering from Syracuse University. He is retired from the USEPA where he served for 34 years. Among other posts while at the USEPA, Len was the Chief of the Region 6 Water Division for several years.
At Ron Perrin Water Technologies we take time to make sure the inspectors we send out to perform inspections have the right gear, insurance coverage and training to safely do your inspection or cleaning both efficiently and safely. By using a state-of-the-art under- water video camera and lighting system, we are able to collect all the information we need to produce your inspection report while the tank remains in-service. In addition to the underwater video, our reports also feature dozens of high quality digital photos covering all AWWA inspection points. Our innovative inspection methods have been refined by Ron Perrin since 1997 and are featured in a class he instructs for the Environmental Training Institute at UT Arlington. Information on the course may be found at the ETI Website See WTR308 Water Tank Inspection Techniques
For more information see www.rpwt.us. For a water tank inspection or cleaning quote call Debi at 817-377-4899 or e-mail tankinspections@aol.com.
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