Bill Burgard Water Tower Design: Tank of the Year

An Ann Arbor water tower recently covered with a design by Stamps Lecturer Bill Burgard has been recognized as ​“Tank of the Year”. Burgard’s design won the ​“Art in the Sky” public art contest and was applied to the 500,000 gallon steel tank water tower on Manchester Road this summer. The artwork features a swan, sandhill crane, woodpecker, and a bird of prey in flight, along with bluegill fish down below swimming in the Huron River, which is where Ann Arbor gets most of its drinking water.

“I really felt what was up there should reflect what’s local and what we think of when we think of our water system,” Burgard said. ​“Also, I really liked the idea that the water tower is up in the sky, where the birds are, and they hang out in the river, too, so I thought it was a nice kind of natural combination.”

For almost 50 years, Tnemec Company Inc. has supplied coatings and linings for water storage tanks, protecting them from corrosion, ultraviolet light degredation and exterior weathering. In 2006, to celebrate water tank coating projects all over, Tnemec created the annual Tank of the Year contest. The competition for Tank of the Year has grown every year since then, with more and more water tanks entering the contest and increased involvement from a wide range of applicators, engineers, municipalities and communities. 

This year’s overall winner flies high above the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The elevated tank’s artwork depicting native birds and fish was selected from designs that were entered in the city-sponsored ​“Art in the Sky” contest. The design was completed using an exterior Tnemec coatings system, including the fluoropolymer finish, Series 700 HydroFlon, for unsurpassed color and gloss retention. 

The winner was chosen from 12 runners-up, including Ann Arbor and water tanks located in Champaign, Ill.; Garnavillo, Iowa; Gulf Shores, Ala.; La Porte, Texas; Laurens, S.C.; Lumberton, N.C.; Olathe, Kan.; Ontario, Calif.; York, Neb.; and Houston County, Ga., which received the most votes during the online voting process. 

Congratulations to Ann Arbor, Mich., for being named the 2016 Tank of the Year! Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s contest. Nominations for next year’s competition will being in March 2017. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for important event and product updates.