Water Tank Getting a New Coat This Season

Residents who live near the Ruggles Street water tank will not be surprised to learn that sandblasting on the facility is underway. Crews were on scene this afternoon wearing headphones and protective gear, and the sound of heavy blasters against the large metal structure could be heard echoing off the hillside into the surrounding valleys.

“The entire project is scheduled to take about 120 days,” Operations Manager Dennis Cote told Westborough Patch. The sandblasting, he said, should continue for about two weeks.

While Cote did not know the exact color that the tank will be painted, he guessed that it would be a “cloud blue” color similar to the tank located on Route 9 near the University of Phoenix. The paint, he explained, is of a quality that can be applied during the expected cold temperatures in the coming months.

“The tank is inspected on the exterior and interior every three years,” he said. “That determines whether the tank is due to be painted.”

Cote estimated that the tank, which holds domestic drinking water, is painted every 20 years.

Residents approved a warrant article at the which appropriated $420,00 for the purpose of reconditioning town water tanks including the Ruggles Street water tank. That amount also includes expenditures for driveway, drainage, engineering, incidental and related costs for water tank projects.

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