City Water Tank Undergoes Final Repairs

Larry Collins of Pittsburgh Tank and Tower welds a section of the exterior steel ring that will strengthen the base and stem the water tank in Evergreen Shores Tuesday, July 10.

Repairs to the water tank in Evergreen Shores by Pittsburgh Tank and Tower, which started Monday, July 9, is expected to be completed by Friday, July 13.

Two steel rings, one on the exterior and one inside, were welded to the tank's base between 20 and 24 feet from the ground. The rings, both about an inch thick, will be fastened to the tank's stiffeners, which were placed on the tank after it suffered a crack at the top of is base during a February wind storm, causing three families to be evacuated from their homes.

The tank had been raised 26 feet last summer and was empty at the time of the crack, because electrical work at the site was not complete.

The rings will further stabilize the stiffeners and give them added strength, said Les Therrian, the director for the city's Department of Public Works.

Repairs to the water tank's instrumentation should be completed by next week and the tank should be filled with water by the end of July.

William Woiten of Pittsburgh Tank and Tower measures a section of the steel ring that will be welded on the interior of the water tank. The exterior and interior rings will be connected to the stiffeners already on the tank already.

Mr. Therrian said the St. Ignace City Council could approve the repairs and accept a two-year warranty from Pittsburgh Tank and Tower in August.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, which funded the extension, has withheld its final payment to Pittsburgh Tank and Tower until the city is satisfied with the repairs.

The water tank supports St. Ignace Township and the tribe's Kewadin Shores Casino and Hotel. It will be used mostly for back-up, said Mr. Therrian.

This city water tower in Evergreen Shores was cracked during high winds and is undergoing repairs..