Elevated Storage Tank Repainting

Muhlenberg Township Authority

Muhlenberg, Berks County, PA

After more than 47 years, Muhlenberg Township Authority initiated the enhancement of their townscape by revamping the familiar 1.0 MGAL elevated water storage tank located on Tuckerton Road.

Spotts, Stevens and McCoy was chosen to provide consulting services to the skyscraping structure and its accessories, which were untouched since its original construction in 1971.  The project included preparing bid specifications to publically bid the project and obtain the necessary PADEP permits to paint the interior of the tank. 

SSM assisted in coordinating proper removal, disposal, and repainting of the interior and exterior of the tank in the time requested to suit the Authority needs. SSM worked together with the Township, PADEP and the contractor to ensure all processes and material disposal met state, local and federal safety standards. During construction the tank was upgraded to meet OSHA standards.

Water System Evaluation

CENTRAL BUCKS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Water System Evaluation and Feasibility Study

Provided a water system evaluation and feasibility study to address current water needs and provide recommendations to the District for improvements to the system and better service to the schools’ population. SSM’s engineers evaluated the existing wells, the water supply system, and the storage and distribution system for the East High School and Holicong Middle School.

Potable Water Tank Replacement and Maintenance Building Addition

SSM engineers provided structural, electrical, and mechanical engineering and design services for the removal and replacement of an existing 5,000 gallon potable water storage tank with two new 7,500 gallon storage tanks to be supported on new foundations, and a maintenance equipment room addition for storage of equipment.

Concept Design for Probable Maximum Flood

Reading Area Water Authority

Reading, Pennsylvania

LAKE ONTELAUNE DAM | READING AREA WATER AUTHORITY

Lake Ontelaunee Dam, built mid-1920, has stood for over 90 years supplying drinking water to the City of Reading and surrounding areas. Pennsylvania Code (Chapter 105) now requires most dam owners to upgrade to new flood standards or breach their dams. 

SSM’s team of professional engineers (hydrologist, geotechnical and civil), geologists (geophysicist, structural and hydrogeological), surveyors, GIS technicians and construction specialists completed a Concept Design to fortify Lake Ontelaunee Dam to safely comply with design criteria for a Probable Maximum Flood (PMF).  The Concept Design was prepared for the Reading Area Water Authority in response to the PADEP – Division of Dam Safety’s requirements to bring Lake Ontelaunee Dam into compliance. 

The dam consists of a 544 foot uncontrolled ogee crest concrete spillway and a 2,890 foot earthen embankment section.  Under the PMF criteria, the earthen embankment will perform as an emergency spillway.  To fortify the embankment and prevent it from eroding away during a PMF event, its upstream face needs to be thickened and its downstream slope requires hardening with Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC).  However, prior to RCC installation, subsurface soils need to be stabilized to support the proposed overtopping engineering controls and subjected PMF forces.  In addition, the team addressed complications created by State Highway 73 which traverses the top of the dam with its guiderail system that raised the PMF.

In developing the most cost effective solution for the Authority, SSM evaluated several technologies and their subsequent costs or risks in addition to RCC including:  articulated concrete block, 1,000 linear feet of culvert beneath Route 73, dam height reduction, a parapet wall option and a hardened artificial turf like system. Stability analysis, geotechnical investigations, environmental assessments, underwater dam inspections, and geophysical and hydrogeological studies were included with the Design Concept.

LAKE ONTELAUNEE | READING AREA WATER AUTHORITY