Project Summary
City of Alliance, OH
Steel and concrete Tank asset management program
Type of Project
Steel and Concrete Tank Asset Management Program
Results
- High quality tank maintenance and rehabilitation
- Proactive, single point of contact for streamlined communications
- Guarantee of work
The City of Alliance, Ohio – known as “The Carnation City” – is a resilient community of more than 21,000 residents that continues to build on its proud heritage and “can do” character. Its history is intertwined with that of the railroads that once traversed the city, stopping to deliver raw materials for factories and pick up finished goods. Today, the quaint Main Street Caboose celebrates this past by gracing Alliance’s downtown.
The city’s Water & Sewer Distribution Department is responsible for water distribution, wastewater collection, and more. “Our distribution system consists of approximately 10,000 service connections. We maintain all the city’s water mains, four steel water tanks, two concrete clarifiers, fire hydrants, and our sanitary sewers. We also have responsibility for three reservoirs and four dams,” said Doug Hastings, Superintendent of the Distribution Department.
While the department has always been proud of its ability to maintain its own assets, it has also embraced the use of carefully chosen outside resources to complement its internal capabilities. Today, it works with USG Water Solutions (USG) to provide asset management for its water tanks. The state of Ohio has mandated the use of asset management programs by all public water systems – a trend that is expanding nationally – the Water & Sewer Department has welcomed the specialized focus and many other benefits that an asset management program provides.
“
We recognize that there are advantages to working selectively with partners who bring specific expertise and capabilities that complement what we do. And that becomes important when you look at our relationship with USG.
— Mike Dreger, Safety Service Director, Alliance Water & Sewer Distribution Dept.
USG is known not only for its industry-leading experience and wide-ranging capabilities, but also for customizing its asset management programs according “We recognize that there are advantages to working selectively with partners who bring specific expertise and capabilities that complement what we do. And that becomes important when you look at our relationship with USG.” — Mike Dreger, Safety Service Director, Alliance Water & Sewer Distribution Dept. to its customers’ needs. For Alliance, the company tailored a program that focuses on maintenance and repair of its water tanks, leveraging its extensive expertise and advanced technology solutions. USG also maintains the clarifiers in Alliance’s system to ensure performance and good water quality.
According to Mike Dreger, Safety Service Director for the city, “For a long time, Alliance has had the philosophy that if we can do it all ourselves, that’s the way we’ll do it. But we also recognize that there are advantages to working selectively with partners who bring specific expertise and capabilities that complement what we do. And that becomes important when you look at our relationship with USG.”
USG’s asset management program packages the rehabilitation and future maintenance of water assets into a single contract. Its tank asset management program assures the highest level of protection for these critical pieces of infrastructure, custom designing the approach according to the condition of each tank, keeping them in fit- for-purpose condition, and preventing failures before they occur.
Hastings noted the many benefits of the USG asset management program. “With USG we have a single point of contact, which streamlines communications, and the company guarantees its work. They are always proactive and function as real partners in maintaining our tanks. Anytime there is something that needs to be noted, they are on the phone with me, or they will run up and do an extra inspection if that is what it takes. This keeps us on the same page,” said Hastings.
In addition to the functional importance of its tanks, Alliance
is well aware that having well-maintained tanks is important
to the confidence the city’s residents have in their system
and the quality of their water. “Our water tanks really are a
symbol of what we’re all about,” he says.
In many ways, the relationship between Alliance and USG reflects the name of the community itself; bringing together each party’s individual strengths to create an alliance that helps the city’s water system achieve new heights.
“
With USG, we have a single point of contact, which streamlines communications, and the company guarantees its work. They are always proactive and function as real partners in maintaining our tanks.
— Doug Hastings, Superintendent, Alliance Water & Sewer Distribution Dept.
