Bluffton, Indiana was nicknamed “The Parlor City” over a century ago because its paved streets (a new phenomenon at the time) made the city “as clean as your parlor.” Today, Bluffton is a vibrant community with a population of 10,384.  It opened a new sewage treatment facility on May 2, 1998 that discharges wastewater to the Wabash River.  

However, even though the age of the facility was relatively new in terms of wastewater structures, their lift station was failing due to a faulty liner, as well as infiltration had been detected in several manholes.  The lift station concrete had noticeable hydrogen sulfide (H2S) corrosion, which had severely shortened its life span. 

The City of Bluffton sought to remedy these issues right away with a spray-applied lift station and manhole lining system solution.  ART, a proud OBIC-certified installer, was selected to execute this, along with various spot repairs of sewers and manholes.  ART’s wastewater rehabilitation services included cost-effective manhole rehabilitation services that repair structural integrity, cause less disturbance to the surrounding area, and include a 10-year warranty for the multi-layer system or OBIC Armor system.    

To rehabilitate the city’s manholes with minimal to severe deterioration, ART used OBIC Armor 1000. Impervious to H2S, OBIC 1000 can restore manholes and other wastewater structures and have them operating at peak efficiency with minimal disruption to service.  Unlike alternative, rigid products, like in the case of the lift station’s existing failed liner, OBIC 1000 is made of a flexible polymer that won’t crack under the pressure of temperature changes, is designed to withstand the demands of the host structure, and is durable enough to restore structural integrity to even the most deteriorated manhole.

Derrick Deininger, Collections Supervisor for the City of Bluffton, said of his experience with ART, “It has been a good experience dealing with Derrick Short.  He has been at the jobs on time and the crews have been really good to work with and have done a good job with all the jobs we have done with them.”

After the project was rapidly and successfully completed by ART, the City of Bluffton looks forward to a long-lasting lift station that will not be susceptible to corrosion and that is operating at full capacity.  

If you are interested in learning more about the manhole rehabilitation process, ART offers product demonstrations that can be conducted in an optional lunch and learn format. Anyone interested in learning more about ART and the benefits of OBIC products is welcome to attend. All we need from you is a location and a manhole no deeper than 8-9’ for the demonstration, and we will provide the refreshments.  Contact us at info@artcoatingtech.com or 419-636-2684 for more details.