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Commission seeks additional engineering review after tank inspections reveal cracking
Summary
Town video and photos show cracking and effervescence on the Richmond water tank; the commission will hire additional structural engineering review and asked the town attorney to evaluate whether design or construction issues warrant legal follow‑up.
The Richmond Water & Sewer Commission discussed July 1 findings from videos and photos of the town’s water tank that show cracking and surface effervescence.
Staff said an initial structural review of documentation suggested further study was warranted and that the town’s attorney recommended getting an independent engineer with capacity to perform a deeper evaluation. The commission identified at least two firms that could perform on‑site and design reviews (transcript references a firm spelled in the packet as “Hol Tanner”); staff also contacted tank‑cleaning and epoxy‑repair contractors who do interior patching.
Speakers noted the tank is cast‑in‑place concrete sited on a hillside and that movement and cracking are not unexpected in that condition; staff explained epoxy patching exists as a repair option but that thorough engineering assessment is needed to determine long‑term fixes. The attorney’s involvement is intended to determine whether any deficiencies in original design or construction could create legal exposure for the town; the commission said it would return the item for an update after additional inspections and engineering recommendations.
The commission asked staff to bring the item back at the next meeting with engineering proposals and recommended next steps. The motion to continue discussion to the next meeting passed by voice vote.
