The April 2022 completion of the Davisboro Water Pollution Control Plant in Davisboro, Georgia provides much-needed water treatment capacity for the region. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was specified to protect all new concrete liquid containment tanks.
A small, rural town of around 2,000 inhabitants in Central Georgia, Davisboro mandated the construction of a new water pollution control plant to comply with current federal environmental standards. The new plant now discharges treated wastewater into the Williamson Swamp Creek in the Ogeechee River Basin watershed, which drains an area of 5,540 square miles (14,300 km2) in Georgia. The Ogeechee River is one of the state's few free-flowing streams and flows generally southeast to Ossabaw Sound about 16 miles (26 km) south of Savannah, Georgia.
The $6.7 million project was designed by Turnipseed Engineers, an engineering company specializing in water and wastewater treatment systems throughout Georgia and South Carolina, and constructed by AllSouth Constructors of Covington, Georgia.
Protection from Aggressive Chemicals
Once commissioned, the concrete structures of the Davisboro Water Pollution Control Plant will continually be exposed to an aggressive brew of chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, and disinfectants, an array of corrosive compounds and chemicals added during the plant’s treatment processes. A competitive product was originally specified as the concrete waterproofing solution for the plant’s liquid containment tanks. Penetron worked with Fowler Flemister Concrete, the ready-mix concrete supplier, to provide an optimal level of protection for the plant’s new concrete structures.
“Thanks to our premeasured soluble bag packaging, single dosage rate, and attractive pricing, PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was chosen and specified for the Davisboro project as the final concrete waterproofing and protection solution,” adds Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. “Adding PENETRON ADMIX SB to the concrete mix reduces concrete permeability, which increases chemical resistance and enables self-healing of any new or future hairline cracks to enhance the durability of these key concrete components.”
Previous Performance is Key
The new PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete elements for the Davisboro Water Pollution Control Plant included an influent pump station, screen and grit structures, an aeration basin, two final clarifiers, an ultraviolet disinfection unit, a plant pump station, and an aerobic digester. Also, part of the project was a new return sludge pump station building that prepares the sludge, left over from the treatment process, before it is eventually disposed of as landfill.
“The concrete waterproofing stage of the Davisboro project went smoothly, thanks to the on-site support provided by Penetron and our valuable experience gained with similar water treatment projects across the region,” adds Christopher Chen.
