Water Storage Tanks Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation

This water tank training course will improve your water asset management knowledge and skills. Become familiar with the different types of water tanks—bolted steel, prestressed concrete, and others—and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as coatings for concrete and steel tanks. Understand how water mixes in water storage tanks and how to safely attach antennas to tanks. Know how tank inspections work and understand water storage tank maintanance and rehabilitation. Learn about warranty and aftercare of tanks, including training on corrosion control and cathodic protection for water tanks.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify the different types of water tanks and their advantages and disadvantages.
Master the best safety practices for water storage tank operation.
Understand mixing in water storage tanks.
Know how tank inspections work and how to maintain and rehabilitate tanks.
Improve water asset management knowledge and skills.

Who Should Attend:

Utility managers
Engineers
Public works directors and superintendents
Distribution system operators
Any professional responsible for water storage tank maintenance

Course Details: RA00207-D987

Course Outline

Water Storage Tank Types

Tank type overview
Advantages and disadvantages
Design efficiency
Operations and maintenance considerations
Aesthetics

Safety for Water Storage Tank Operation

Important safety issues
Overview of safety equipment and procedures for tank climbing and rigging
Tank details for safety and rescue retrieval

Attaching antennas to Tanks

Typical antenna attachment details
Protecting structural integrity of tank
Avoiding paint damage and corrosion
Operational and aesthetic concerns
Accommodating future antenna installations

Mixing in Water Storage Tanks

Storage tank water quality problems and causes
Water storage tank mixing – mixing basics – methods of mixing – potential mixing problems
Modeling mixing and water aging in storage tanks
Retrofits to improve mixing and tank water quality

Initial Inspections for Tanks

Essential elements of tank inspections
Inspector qualifications
Inspection types – drained tank – underwater inspections
Photo and video documentation
Inspection report

Tank Rehabilitation

Warranty and Aftercare for Tanks

Bolted Steel and Prestressed Concrete Tanks

Coatings for Steel and Concrete Tanks

Coating types
Expected coating life
Coating selection
Surface preparation
Quality control

Essentials of Asset Management

Corrosion Control and Cathodic Protection

Cathodic protection methods/systems
Operation of cathodic protection systems

Case Studies

Course Schedule

Registration Date/Time:
4/27/2026 9:30am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

4/27/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/1/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/4/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/8/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/11/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/15/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/18/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time
5/22/2026 10:00am - 12:15pm Central Time

Course Notes

This is an online only course. Please be prepared to attend all days. Contact us before registering if you have any questions.

Registration confirmation will guide students through accessing the Canvas course site. Please watch for emails from the "wisc.edu" address.

Students will create and log in to the Canvas course site with a NetID. Course assets such as course materials, participation certificates, and course evaluations will be available to all students through the Canvas course site.

Online attendees will access course sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform.

Instructors and Program Director

Instructors
Joseph Hoban
Vice President
Mr. Joseph Hoban is the Vice President of Dixon Engineering, Inc. and brings over 25 years of expertise in potable drinking water storage. He holds a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he graduated in 1998. Although his degree focused on geology, Joe's career took a different path, leading him into the field of inspecting potable drinking water tanks. His experience spans a wide range of tank types, including ground tanks, elevated tanks, steel tanks, and concrete tanks.
Joe is a Licensed Professional Engineer in 10 states, a Certified Coatings Inspector through the Association of Material Protection and Performance (AMPP), and a Certified Weld Inspector through the American Welding Society. His diverse certifications and years of experience make him a leader in the water storage industry.
Ben Huffman
Superintendent
Ben is the superintendent for the South Milwaukee Water and Wastewater treatment facilities. He has been with the City of South Milwaukee for the past 19 years.
Seth McClure
Asset Manager
Seth McClure, PE has been actively involved with Asset Management for eight years, first as the Asset Manager at the Madison Water Utility, and most recently as supervisor for asset management programs at the Madison Metro Sewerage District. More recently, Seth has shifted his focus from engineering and asset management to issues surrounding the governance of utilities, strategic planning, and leadership development. Seth is currently the Strategic Planning and Policy Advisor for MMSD. A former high school teacher, freelance writer, and carpenter, Seth is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Kyle Miller
Kyle Miller has a rich background in education and sales, coupled with a lifelong connection to agriculture. After earning his bachelor’s degree in education, Kyle spent the next several years in the classroom teaching elementary and middle school. He then transitioned to Education Sales for the next seven years. Now Kyle is applying his skills and experience in the water storage industry, a legacy that his grandfather began nearly 60 years ago installing the Harvestore tanks throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
Steven Roetter
Market Segment Manager
Steve Roetter has 40 years’ experience in the coatings and corrosion industry. He spent 35 years as a consultant doing condition assessments, specifications and coating inspection on various steel and concrete structures. Steve also conducted numerous coating failure investigations and served as an expert witness.

For the past 5 years, Steve has been water/wastewater Market Segment Manager for Sherwin-Williams where he oversees the coating of steel and concrete wastewater structures. Steve has a BS Civil Engineering, is a registered professional engineer in Indiana and New York, an AMPP Protective Coating Specialist and Past President of SSPC – The Society for Protective Coatings (now AMPP).
Miles Steele
Waterworks Manager
Miles Steele has worked in the corrosion control industry for over 43 years, starting his career with Harco in 1984 as a Waterworks Technician. His experience has involved all aspects pertaining to the cathodic protection (CP) of water storage tanks including CP system design, inspection, evaluation, repair, installation, and commissioning. Miles is a member the Association for Materials Protection & Performance (AMPP) and is a NACE certified Cathodic Protection Level II Technician. Miles is a member of the American Waterworks Association (AWWA) and for the past 5 years has served as the Committee Chair for the AWWA D104/D106 Standard on Cathodic Protection.
Tim Wilson
MPA
Mr. Wilson is a Project Manager with DIXON Engineering, Inc., a firm specializing in engineering and inspection services for the coating industry. Tim has 30 years of project management, consulting, and operational experience with both surface water and groundwater treatment and their associated distribution systems.

Tim is a certified drinking water treatment and distribution operator in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, as well as an AMPP Basic Coating Inspector and Concrete Coating Inspector.
Kevin Zei
Business Development - Water Infrastructure
Kevin Zei has 25 years of experience in the coating industry. His focus is on water infrastructure projects working with owners and engineers in Wisconsin and Illinois to develop coating specifications for their projects. He is a proud UW-Madison alum studying Forest Science but was drawn back to the family business of paint. He holds AMPP Coating Inspector Level 2 and Concrete Coating Inspector Level 2 certifications and is an active member of AWWA and Rural Water in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Program Director
Adib Amini

Total Credits:

CEU 1.6,

PDH 16,

Applies to this Certificate:

Drinking Water Systems,

Course Administration

Fee Information

Online attendance fee includes online instruction and course materials. Online attendees will access course sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform.

Discounts

When two people from the same employer sign up, each student receives a $100 discount.

When three or more people from the same employer sign up, each student receives a $150 discount.

City of Madison Water Utility and Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District employees receive a 10% discount ($150). Employment affiliation will be verified.

Payment Options

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
Provide the registrations representative with:
- the course name, dates, and/or course number.
- the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from registration@cerc.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email registration@cerc.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Cancellation Policy

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.

Create a custom learning experience

We can deliver this course as an on-site learning experience tailored to your organization’s specific training needs.