A Dimock PA resident holds contaminated well water from his home.
In a tiny community called Dimock County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, residents have been plagued for months by well water contamination caused by methane infiltration into their drinking water tanks.
Traditionally, concrete water tanks have not incorporated a waterproofing system until a problem has surfaced. Cracks have been filled with Oakum to stop water flow, epoxy coatings have been applied or polyurethane plastic liners have been welded together inside the tank to block water leakage. While these methods may have provided temporary relief, none have proven as effective as integral crystalline waterproofing. Cracks and defects repaired with crystalline systems will outlast traditional epoxy or urethane repairs.
In this particular case, the methane is thought to have infiltrated the concrete tanks by finding natural pathways (through the porous concrete), or travel up flaws (cracks, or tears in external membranes). This is extremely difficult to prevent when methane is naturally occurring as residual gas from a shallow source.
Had the water tanks themselves been waterproofed with a Crystalline Admixture, (such as Kryton’s LEED friendly Krystol Internal Membrane [KIM]), the pores of the concrete would have been blocked by millions of crystals. With the proper application, the crystals would have prevented the methane from penetrating the water tanks, keeping the drinking water safe.
