Category: Press

Don’t Forget to Fix Leaks During Drinking Water Week!

fix-a-leak-weekAs Drinking Water Week continues, T&H joins the American Water Works Association and water professionals across North America in encouraging homeowners to check and fix leaks inside and outside the home.

Consumers are encouraged to quickly and efficiently fix leaks in and around their homes to prevent water waste. To test for leaks inside, customers should shut off everything connected to water and inspect the home’s flow indicator on the water meter. If the indicator continues to move, even with everything off, there’s a leak somewhere in the home.

To check for a leaky toilet, customers can place a few drops of food coloring in the holding tank and wait five minutes without flushing. There’s a leak if coloring appears in the bowl. Also, customers should check all faucets and under the sinks for dripping. To check for leaks outside, customers should inspect the lawn for wet spots or pools of water around spray heads. Brown or muddy spots would also indicate there is a leak in the irrigation system.

“We are each personally responsible to conserve water in and around our home,” said AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “Checking for and fixing leaks is an easy way to do our part in preventing water waste.”

More information on household leaks can be found on DrinkTap.org.

About Drinking Water Week

For more than 35 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in daily lives.

Get the Lead Out During Drinking Water Week 2017!

As Drinking Water Week continues, Tata & Howard joins the American Water Works Association and water professionals across North America in encouraging households to identify and replace lead-based water pipes and plumbing. Lead presents health concerns for people of all ages, particularly pregnant women, infants, and young children. In children, low exposure levels have been linked to learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and other issues.

Water leaving treatment plants and traveling through water mains is almost always lead-free. However, lead is sometimes present in pipes connecting older homes to the water system or in fixtures and home plumbing. A licensed plumber can help to identify lead service lines and other materials such as lead fittings and solder. Households can find out more about their water quality by having it tested by a certified laboratory.  Information on other sources of lead contamination in homes is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Water utilities can adjust water chemistry to minimize the possibility of lead dissolving into tap water, but communities and households also play an important role in keeping drinking water safe,” said AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “Together, let’s get the lead out.”

More information on lead:

Lead in Drinking Water of Our Nation’s Schools

Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future

Water Crisis in the United States: Lead in Drinking Water

About Drinking Water Week

For more than 35 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in daily lives. Additional information about Drinking Water Week, including free materials for download and celebration ideas, is available on the Drinking Water Week webpage.

Getting to Know and Love Tap Water During Drinking Water Week!

Tata & Howard, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and water professionals across North America are kicking off Drinking Water Week today with the theme “Your Water – To Know It Is To Love It”.

T&H, AWWA, and the water community will celebrate Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives. Focus will be placed on ways in which water consumers can take personal responsibility in caring for their tap water and water infrastructure at home and in the community. To commemorate the week, water utilities, government entities, environmental advocates, schools, and other stakeholders will celebrate drinking water through public presentations, staff events, and community festivals, and provide information on how water consumers can understand and appreciate their water.

“This year’s Drinking Water Week will motivate water consumers to be actively aware of how they personally connect with water,” said AWWA Chief Executive Officer David LaFrance. “We should all know how to find and fix leaks, care for our home’s pipes, and support our utility’s investment in water infrastructure.”

About Drinking Water Week

For more than 35 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives. Additional information about Drinking Water Week, including free materials for download and celebration ideas, is available on the Drinking Water Week webpage.

Donald Tata, Founder and CEO of Tata & Howard, Passes Away

donald tata
Donald J. Tata, P.E.

The Tata & Howard family is mourning the loss of the company’s co-founder and CEO, Donald J. Tata, P.E., 63. Mr. Tata died at home on March 25, 2017 after a valiant battle with cancer.

Tata & Howard Senior Vice President and co-founder Paul B. Howard, P.E. said, “Don was an incredible person, a brilliant engineer, and a lifelong friend. He dedicated his talents and drive to Tata & Howard for the past 25 years, and his presence is already greatly missed. His determination, integrity, passion for excellence, and commitment to the firm will continue to inspire all of us at Tata & Howard.  On behalf of the entire Tata & Howard team, we send our deepest sympathies to his wife, their two children, and three grandchildren.”

Don Tata founded Tata & Howard in 1992, and he served as President until last November when the company’s Board of Directors named Karen L. Gracey, P.E. and Jenna W. Rzasa, P.E. as Co-Presidents, and Tata as CEO. Under his leadership, Tata & Howard has grown to a nearly 70-person firm with nine offices in seven states, with recent expansion into Ontario, Canada. In 2014, the firm converted to a 100% employee-owned company and has embraced the positivity of ESOP culture. Don was instrumental in determining the firm’s core values of integrity, efficiency, client satisfaction, positive attitude, and teamwork, which the company has upheld throughout its 25 years in business. Don was also a true philanthropist and generously supported the many causes to which Tata & Howard donated, including Water For People, the Navajo Water Project, and the Jimmy Fund. While he dedicated much of his life to the firm he founded, Don always made time for his family and the various activities they enjoyed together.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, and his Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. He held professional engineer licenses in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, and Vermont.  Don received the William H. McGuiness award from Massachusetts Water Works Association for his knowledge, contributions, and accomplishments in the water works industry as well as outstanding service to the Association.

Gracey and Rzasa will jointly oversee daily operations and corporate strategy, and will continue to lead the organization with the same core values and excellence established by Mr. Tata. The firm has also appointed Kenneth M. Fischer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to the Board of Directors.

Tata & Howard Receives Two Awards

Firm awarded a 2017 Engineering Excellence Merit Award and a PCI Design Award

wastewater treatment facility improvements whitepaper
Click above to download the whitepaper on this important project.

Tata & Howard was recently awarded a 2017 Engineering Excellence Merit Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Vermont (ACEC/VT) for the Canaan, Vermont/Stewartstown, New Hampshire Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades, and a 2016 PCI Design Award from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) for the Rehabilitation of the Skilton Road Stone Masonry Arch Bridge in Watertown, CT.

The Towns of Canaan, Vermont and Stewartstown, New Hampshire operate a shared wastewater treatment facility, which required significant upgrades. The existing facilities were 40 years old and although a few upgrades were performed in the 90s, the facilities were not performing well, did not meet Life Safety codes, and required significant maintenance. The upgrade met all of the goals of the Towns by providing for simple operation and maintenance requirements, meeting the Life Safety codes, eliminating confined spaces, lowering electrical power costs, and meeting discharge parameters through production of high quality effluent.

wastewater-treatment-plant
The Canaan, VT/Stewartstown, NH shared wastewater treatment plant won an ACEC/VT Engineering Excellence Merit Award.

“We were thrilled to learn we received an ACEC Vermont Engineering Excellence Award,” said Gary A. Leach, P.E., Vice President, who served as Project Manager for the project. “Upgrading the Canaan/Stewartstown shared wastewater treatment plant was absolutely critical for both residents and plant employees, and to be able to design such an efficient, safe, and affordable solution while procuring 100% financing for the project was quite an accomplishment. We are glad that ACEC Vermont agreed.”

rehabilitated-bridge-historic
The rehabilitated Skilton Road Bridge in Watertown, CT received a PCI Design Award. The project had previously won an Engineering Excellence Merit Award from ACEC/CT.

The Skilton Road Bridge, originally built in 1865 as a one lane, dry stone masonry arch bridge over the Skilton Gorge in Watertown, Connecticut, was found to be structurally deficient in 2013 and required rehabilitation. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places, so special consideration was required during design to preserve the historic nature of the bridge. The project was partially funded by the Local Bridge Program, which required the width of the bridge to be increased to accommodate two traffic lanes, and the Town requested that a sidewalk be installed on one side of the bridge. These two design challenges were met by installing transverse prestressed concrete across the existing bridge. The bridge is owned by the Town of Watertown, Connecticut.

“Receiving the PCI Design Award for Best Rehabilitated Bridge was quite an honor,” said William S. Andres, P.E., Associate at Tata & Howard, who served as Project Manager for the project. “The project was of great value to Connecticut residents for both safety reasons and historical significance, and the utilization of transverse prestressed concrete beams was truly innovative.”

The PCI Design Award was presented on March 3, 2017 at the PCI Design Awards Breakfast held during The PCI Convention and National Bridge Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The ACEC/VT Engineering Excellence Award was announced on February 24, 2017 at the Vermont Society of Professional Engineers’ E-Week Banquet, and will be formally presented at the Annual ACEC/VT Engineering Excellence Awards Dinner held in late spring.

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T&H Donates to Monty Tech

This following press release was originally published by The Harvard Press.

Marlboro engineering company reaches out to help Monty Tech students

Executives at a national engineering consulting company, with an office in Marlboro, reached out recently to make life a bit easier for a group of Monty Tech students and their families.

When Heidi P. White, who handles marketing and communications for Tata & Howard, saw a posting on her friend’s Facebook page for a backpack drive at the school, she thought it was a great idea for a community service project for her company. Amanda Kelly, a Monty Tech Social Studies teacher, runs a backpack drive every summer for students who can’t afford to buy one.

After a few phone calls to school administrators to determine what other items students might need, White, along with Jenna Rzasa, company co-president, traveled to Monty Tech recently to deliver backpacks, school supplies, non-perishable food items, and gift cards to a local supermarket and Wal-Mart. Kathleen Hanson, School Social Worker, will distribute the items to needy students.

From left: Kathleen Hanson, Monty Tech School Social Worker; Dayana Carlson, Assistant Principal; Jenna Rzasa, Co-President of Tata & Howard; Amanda Kelly, Monty Tech teacher; and Heidi White, Marketing Communications Manager for Tata & Howard. 

Commenting on the donation, Ms. Rzasa said, “Tata & Howard strives to consistently give back to the local and global community through both outreach and workplace giving programs. Realizing that education is the key to breaking the chain of poverty, we felt called to provide assistance to local high school students who may be less fortunate than others. High school can be challenging enough without having to worry about school supplies or food.”

Ms. White added that Tata & Howard makes philanthropy a top priority. “From donating to help bring safe, clean drinking water to the residents of Navajo Nation to providing backpacks and supplies to the great kids at Monty Tech, Tata & Howard and its employee-owners are always willing to step up to the plate,” she said.

“We were thrilled to get the phone call from the company. The new backpacks, food items, school supplies and gift cards will mean the world to some of our families who struggle daily just to be able to buy the basics. The company’s generosity was wonderful and much appreciated,” said Mrs. Hanson.

Tata & Howard Receives 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards

tata-howard-acec-award
Carolyn Giampe and Dan Lawrence from Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut accept the Merit Award for the Means Brook Dam alongside Tata & Howard’s William Andres

Tata & Howard was awarded two 2017 Engineering Excellence Merit Awards from the  American Council of Engineering Companies of Connecticut (ACEC/CT). The awards, which honor the very best of Connecticut’s engineers and the projects they have created for the citizens of Connecticut, were presented during ACEC/CT’s Engineering Excellence Awards Dinner held on January 23, 2017 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, Connecticut.

Tata & Howard’s winning projects included the Means Brook Reservoir Gatehouse and Dam Rehabilitation project for the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, and the Repair and Modification of the Skilton Road Stone Masonry Arch Bridge project for the Town of Watertown, Connecticut. Both projects provided improved safety, functionality, and aesthetic value to Connecticut residents.

“Receiving Engineering Excellence Awards for the two projects was gratifying,” said William S. Andres, P.E., Associate at Tata & Howard, who served as Project Manager for the projects. “Both projects were of critical import to Connecticut residents for both safety reasons and historical significance, and it was a true honor that their value was recognized by ACEC Connecticut.”

Roy Cavanaugh from the Town of Watertown, CT accept the Merit Award for the Skilton Road Bridge alongside Tata & Howard’s William Andres

The Means Brook Dam, originally constructed in 1916 in Shelton, Connecticut and currently owned by Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, required repairs to improve reliability and safety. The project included replacement of the deteriorated upstream and downstream faces of the dam and the crest, and modernization and rehabilitation of the gate chambers, while maintaining the active public water supply.

The Skilton Road Bridge, originally built in 1865 as a one lane, dry stone masonry arch bridge over the Skilton Gorge in Watertown, Connecticut, was found to be structurally deficient in 2013 and required rehabilitation. The bridge is on the national register of historic places, so special consideration was required during design to preserve the historic nature of the bridge. The project was partially funded by the Local Bridge Program, which required the width of the bridge to be increased to accommodate two traffic lanes, and the Town requested that a sidewalk be installed on one side of the bridge.  These two design challenges were met by installing transverse prestressed concrete across the existing bridge. The bridge is owned by the Town of Watertown, Connecticut.

Tata & Howard is a member of ACEC’s national chapter as well as its state chapters in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Tata & Howard Announces Leadership Changes

 

Karen L. Gracey, P.E., and Jenna W. Rzasa, P.E., have been named co-presidents of Tata & Howard
Karen L. Gracey, P.E., and Jenna W. Rzasa, P.E., have been named co-presidents of Tata & Howard

Tata & Howard, Inc. has named Karen L. Gracey, P.E., and Jenna W. Rzasa, P.E., current vice presidents, as co-presidents of the firm.  Current president Donald J. Tata, P.E., was appointed Chief Executive Officer and will be working in a reduced capacity while he focuses on his battle with cancer, with which he was diagnosed this fall. Gracey and Rzasa will be working closely with the firm’s senior leadership team to successfully run Tata & Howard in Tata’s absence. The appointments are effective immediately.

“Tata & Howard’s succession plan has been firmly in place since the company became a 100% ESOP in 2014,” stated Mr. Tata. “Karen and Jenna have taken on increasing responsibility in both operational and client-facing aspects of the company over the past few years, and I have absolute confidence in their combined ability to continue to successfully implement our strategic plan while adhering to our core values and furthering our shared mission of providing unsurpassed solutions in the water environment.”

As part of the company’s comprehensive leadership and transition planning, Gracey and Rzasa, who have been with the firm since 1998 and 1997 respectively, have been slated to assume leadership of the company for several years. They were named to the board of directors in 2013 and have headed up the firm’s business development and financial operations since that time. The company noted that while Tata’s illness has expedited their appointments to co-president, Gracey and Rzasa are well positioned to seamlessly assume their new roles.

“Tata & Howard’s strategic plan is centered on sustainable growth through innovation, efficiency, teamwork, and uncompromising integrity, and we — including not just Jenna and myself, but the whole Tata & Howard team — have already assumed full ownership of the company’s vision and values,” added Ms. Gracey. “The firm will be in excellent hands while Don focuses on returning to full health.”

Senior Vice President and firm co-founder Paul B. Howard, P.E., remains actively involved in managing all technical aspects of the firm, and Vice Presidents Patrick S. O’Neale, P.E., and Steven J. Landry, P.E., will continue to provide strategic and operational support to Gracey and Rzasa.

Tata was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2016, and made the announcement to employee-owners in early September. Tata & Howard stated that while it is still too soon to know the timing of his return on a full-time basis, Tata is aggressively fighting the disease with the help of the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.

Tata & Howard Donates Over $5,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Company matches employee-owners’ gifts to support cancer research

Tata & Howard employee-owners helped support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Tata & Howard employee-owners helped support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Tata & Howard recently donated $5,300 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, MA. Employee-owners donated $2,650 and the company provided a 100% match.

“As an employee-owned company, we have a targeted focus on philanthropy,” stated Jenna W. Rzasa, P.E., Vice President of Tata & Howard. “All employee-owners are encouraged to support, both monetarily and through volunteerism, the organizations that resonate most with us. Not surprisingly, employee-owners overwhelmingly choose to support DFCI, as cancer has had an impact on the lives of nearly every single person at the firm.”

Enhancing the company’s support of DFCI, Tata & Howard Engineer Molly Coughlin is running the 2017 Boston Marathon in an effort to raise funds for Dana-Farber. Her personal goal is $15,850.

“Dana-Farber is recognized as a world-class leader in cancer research and treatment, and we are lucky enough to have this incredible organization right in our backyard,” stated Coughlin. “On a personal level, Dana-Farber has saved the lives of two very important people in my life. I feel as though running the marathon to raise funds to support the Institute is the very least I can do.”

To support DFCI and the life-saving research and treatment options they provide, please visit www.danafarbergiving.org.

About the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is world-renowned for its leadership in adult and pediatric cancer treatment and research. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), it is one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of NCI and National Institutes of Health grant funding. For more information, go to www.dana-farber.org.

Tata & Howard Hires Steve Landry, P.E. as Vice President

Tata & Howard Hires Steve Landry, P.E. as Vice President

Steve Landry, P.E., Vice President
Steve Landry, P.E., Vice President

Seasoned civil engineering professional brings extensive water and wastewater experience to the firm

Tata & Howard is pleased to announce that Steve J. Landry, P.E. has joined the firm as Vice President. Mr. Landry brings over 36 years of targeted water and wastewater engineering consulting experience to the team and will lead the firm’s wastewater work. He is working out of the company’s corporate office in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

“I am excited for the opportunity to lead Tata & Howard’s highly talented wastewater team,” commented Landry. “The firm is well known in the industry as a leading provider of top notch water and wastewater engineering solutions, but their high level of integrity, innovation, and collaboration is what truly sets the firm apart.”

“As our firm continues to experience unprecedented growth, it is critical that we enhance our team with individuals who are both technically adept as well as highly disciplined,” stated Donald J. Tata, P.E., President of Tata & Howard. “Steve’s technical mastery and profound level of integrity make him a perfect fit for the firm. Bringing him on board will allow us to enhance our current services, increase our client base, and continue to be the industry benchmark for providing innovative, cost-effective water and wastewater engineering solutions.”

In addition to his extensive consulting experience, Mr. Landry has served on the Board of Directors of the National Society of Professional Engineers and as President of the Rhode Island Society of Professional Engineers. He has also served as Chair of New England Water Environment Association’s CSO and Wet Weather Issues Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering degree in Water Resources from Clarkson University.