Despite the challenges involved in the repair and maintenance of water tanks, tank coating activities must still be conducted, nevertheless, to keep the tank in good condition and secure its longevity over time. In the past, the cost of draining the tank’s content to prevent condensation during coating application, and eliminate the risk of a subsequent tank coating failure, was unavoidable. In-service painting of water tanks was clearly needed to avoid having to drain the tank during tank coating application.
With technological breakthroughs in coating systems in the recent years, in-service water tank painting is now possible with the help of moisture-cured urethane (MCU) coating. MCU tank coating products are quick-drying and easy to apply, cutting down the length of time that it takes to apply tank coatings. On top of that, MCU coatings maintain the flexible and enduring capabilities of standard tank coatings with a tolerance to varied application conditions, abrasion-resistance, and imperviousness to wind-blown dust, soil specks and other damage-causing impacts.
MCU tank coating systems are so effective for in-service water tank painting jobs that the American Water Works Association (AWWA) gave the product the singular recognition with their AWWA D102-03 Industry Standard as OCS (Outside Coating System) 2.