In addition to its colorful design as an inflatable beach ball, the
elevated water tower on U.S. Route 501 in Marion County, South
Carolina, bears the county’s official slogan, “It’s just right,” which
is also a fitting description for the tank’s fluoropolymer coating
system from Tnemec.

“The project’s specifying engineer, who has
a long and successful history with Tnemec, reached out for help
regarding an eye-popping tank,” coating consultant Nick Vause
shared. “When the design moved toward a beach ball pattern
with bright colors, the tank started to become a very high profile
and visible project, which raised the bar in terms of expectations.”
“Exterior steel was power washed using a 5,000 psi sprayer
with a rotating turbo nozzle to remove all loose paint, rust, dirt,
scale and foreign matter,” Vause explained. Specifications also
required the exterior to be prepared in accordance with SSPCSP3 Power Tool Cleaning to remove rust and corrosion. Series 135
Chembuild, a modified polyamine epoxy for marginally prepared
steel and tightly adhering old coatings, was used to prime the
exterior, followed by a coat of Series 1075 Endura-Shield II, an
aliphatic acrylic polyurethane that is highly resistant to abrasion,
wet conditions and exterior weathering.
The specified finish coat was Series 700 HydroFlon, an advanced
thermoset fluoropolymer with outstanding ultraviolet (UV) light
resistance and excellent color and gloss retention. The aesthetically
pleasing coating is recommended for coastal environments and
on structures where extremely long-term maintenance cycles are
desired.

“The coating contractor worked closely with Tnemec and the
specifying engineer to create an incredible looking tank,” Vause
observed. “Passersby are often seen pulled over on the side
of the road taking pictures of the tank and both the county and
the specifying engineer have had numerous conversations with
curious and impressed visitors.”