Your drinking water comes to you safe and contaminant-free courtesy of the Safe Drinking Water Act, enacted in 1974 and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Other state and federal regulations may also apply. These structures are varied, and include elevated tanks, stand pipes, on-grade reservoirs, below ground tanks, clear wells, and pipelines. Depending on the type of wet-inspection being performed, the circumstances surrounding the project, and the company performing the inspection, the task should be performed by a commercial dive crew, an ROV, or a combination of the two. It is essential information for the planning and budgeting for facility maintenance and repair.
Some contractors only provide a checklist and video.
Age is not the only enemy of potable water tanks. In colder climes, ice can wreak havoc on cathodic protection and abrade coatings, creating areas of intense corrosion. Mother nature also assaults tanks with lightning, which can de-laminate coatings in sheets that will slough off and fall to the bottom, exposing large areas to corrosion. Of paramount concern during the inspection is maintaining the sanitary condition of the drinking water, especially considering that scores of contaminants are monitored, and that dangerous levels are measured in parts per million. Of equal importance is the safety of the diver during a manned inspection.