Managing water distribution networks in cold northern climates comes with increased risks and operational challenges, such as main breaks and equipment outages. In Alaska, the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) is responsible for water and sewer services to over 297,000 residents in the greater Anchorage area. The 280-employee utility is owned by the Municipality of Anchorage and operates three wastewater treatment plants and two surface water treatment plants. The distribution system includes 65 million gallons of water in storage reservoirs throughout the city and 1,600 miles of underground pipes.

In 2010, AWWU began looking for equipment to prevent damage to its steel water storage tanks caused by ice forming inside the tanks. Operators observed that ice floating on the surface of the water scraped the coatings on the interior tank walls as water levels inside the tanks fluctuated. In addition, ice formation and movement caused extensive damage to roof support columns and tanks’ interior ladders. Each spring, operators were faced with a list of storage tank repairs costing tens of thousands of dollars and requiring hundreds of hours of staff time.