The West Tennessee State Penitentiary (WTSP) is a mixed-custody state prison located in Henning, Tennessee. It currently houses over 2,200 minimum, medium, and maximum custody adult male inmates. The prison complex is comprised of three sites, totaling 12 separate buildings. SSR started working at the facility in 2009 when the owner, Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC), discovered major leaks throughout their existing hot water distribution system. Due to the importance that hot water plays in the daily function of the prison complex, it was determined the 30-year-old underground system had to be replaced. In addition, TDOC wanted to transform this facility by eliminating the use of steam for heating and raise building efficiency across the complex.

The scope of work performed by SSR included the installation of a new hot water distribution loop and the replacement of the existing heat exchangers, pumps and cooling towers. Our innovative design on this project routed the piping above ground, utilizing pre-insulated pipes with a weatherproof jacket, to distribute hot water to each building. By using pre-insulated pipes SSR was able to minimize installation time and manage project phasing.

The new high efficiency boilers produce 210°F water which is delivered to each building through approximately 35,000 LF of pipe, configured in a loop around the facility. The loop was designed to prevent “branch” piping which could lead to multiple buildings being without hot water in the event of a break, or leak, in a section of pipe. Additionally, at each building there are 2 shutoff valves, one on each side of the take-off, which can isolate a section of the loop for maintenance while not interrupting service to the remaining buildings. As a result of these upgrades, the prison complex is a safer, more efficient, and requires less maintenance.