With the exception of touch-ups, concrete repair and restoration, this work is now complete. The tower has been refilled (it holds 3,400 cubic metres of water) and is back in full operation. 

The work will protect the steel from corroding and extend the life of this 60-year-old infrastructure for up to 40 additional years. This project included stringent requirements for health and safety for all aspects, including for lead paint removal and disposal. The new application of paint does not contain lead.

While the water tower was out of service during this work, operational arrangements ensured that water services were maintained without interruption. 

The contractor erected a containment system and used sandblasting to safely remove the exterior paint on the oldest municipal water tower in Kingston, before applying five coats (total) of zinc, epoxy, white urethane and high gloss urethane.

Fun fact

Sixty-five thousand linear feet of vertical standards, horizontal ledgers and diagonal braces were used to erect the scaffolding. Scaffolding is scheduled to be removed by the end of January. 

Background

In 2017, we completed an engineering condition assessment on this 60-year-old critical drinking water infrastructure, located on Tower Street.  This included a thorough review of structural elements, current code compliance, foundations, and coatings. In general, the tower was found to be in good condition and structurally sound. In order to protect the steel from corroding and extend the life of the infrastructure, we identified the need to remove and replace the exterior paint.

The $2.3 million contract has been awarded to Jacques Daoust Coatings Management Inc. (JDCMI). The work involved removing the existing coating via sandblasting, and applying a new coating. The work included:

• Erecting scaffolding and full containment system to enclose the water tower.
• Using sandblasting to remove the existing paint.
• Preparing the surface for new paint application.
• Applying new protective coating and the text “KINGSTON”. To maintain consistency with the other elevated water towers in the City of Kingston (Creekford Road, O’Connor Drive and Innovation Drive), the tower was painted in white, with blue lettering.

Prior testing confirmed that the existing paint contained lead.  The contract included stringent requirements for health and safety for all aspects of the work, and more specifically related to lead removal and disposal.  We adhered to strict requirements for the removal, storage, testing, and disposal of the removed material.