The 200 million-gallon Big Canyon Reservoir in Corona del Mar, Calif.
The Big Canyon Reservoir rehabilitation project has selected Cooley COOLPRO® for use in
a new floating cover. COOLPRO is a high-quality, National Science Foundation-approved, reinforced
polypropylene geomembrane manufactured by Cooley Engineered Membranes, a division of Pawtucket,
R.I.-based Cooley Group.
The 200 million-gallon Big Canyon Reservoir in Corona del Mar, Calif., supplies water to the
Newport Beach area. Built in the 1960s, the structure is undergoing a $5 million rehabilitation
because it has been plagued by turbidity, and taste and odor problems associated with algae growth,
which can occur in an uncovered reservoir.
The COOLPRO floating cover is fabricated from a 60-mil poly-propylene composite membrane,
with a 40/60 distribution ratio coating for improved abrasion resistance. The thicker side of the
membrane is used for the underside of the cover. In addition, a 45-mil polypropylene chaffer strip
is fitted around the reservoirs sides and anchored to the concrete floor. The chaffer strip
protects the cover from excessive wear resulting from movement of the cover caused by fluctuating
water levels. In total, the project uses 1.5 million square feet of COOLPRO.
December 2004
