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.”
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.
Manganese is an essential nutrient at about 2.5-5.0 mg/day, but overexposure can potentially cause serious health issues. Long term exposure to manganese can cause toxicity to the nervous system and Parkinson’s like symptoms – particularly in children, the elderly, and pregnant mothers. Young children and infants cannot break down manganese in their bodies as effectively as adults, which can cause issues in early brain development. In recent studies, children exposed to high levels of manganese experienced learning difficulties such as ADD, hyperactivity, Pervasive Development Disorder, and memory issues. Another interesting effect of overexposure to manganese is violent behavior. Studies have shown excessive manganese decreases serotonin function and reduces dopamine levels, resulting in social withdrawal, increased depression, and aggression. Studies completed in prisons have concluded manganese toxicity contributes to delinquent behavior, and autopsies of mass murderers often show toxic levels of manganese. While these studies may be concerning, manganese ingested through drinking water is processed by the liver and reduces the risks associated with other forms of manganese exposure, such as inhaling.
Manganese deposits can build up in pipelines, pressure tanks, water heaters, and water softeners, reducing the available quantity of the water supply and pressure in the system. Manganese accumulations can become expensive for utilities when water supply or water softening equipment must be replaced. Also, energy costs can become a burden for utilities when pumping water through constricted pipes or heating water with heating rods coated with manganese deposits. Managing safe levels of manganese in drinking water is an important step in preserving valuable assets in a distribution system. The benefits associated with treating manganese greatly outweigh the long-term repair and rehabilitation costs utilities may face with high levels of manganese. To adequately manage safe levels of manganese, proper water treatment is paramount.
For low concentrations of manganese, 0.3 mg/L or less, sequestering utilizing phosphate compounds is a simple, effective, and inexpensive solution. When added to water, phosphate compounds surround minerals and keep them in solution. When these compounds are put into the water system, they stabilize and disperse dissolved manganese. As a result, the manganese is not available to react with oxygen to create issues with the color, taste, or odor of drinking water. The phosphate compounds must be introduced into the water at a point where the manganese is still dissolved to maintain water clarity. This treatment process should take place before the pressure tank and as close to the well discharge point as possible. Phosphate treatment does come with a bit of risk due to the instability of most phosphate compounds at higher temperatures. If phosphate-treated water is boiled or heated, such as in a water heater, the compounds have the potential to break down and release manganese that could react with oxygen and precipitate. Also, phosphates from any source contribute to excess nutrient content in surface water.
Ryan Neyland, P.E. Project Manager, has over 11 years of concentrated water treatment experience including all phases of planning, design, and construction services, as well as pump station rehabilitation and SCADA experience. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
2017 marks Tata & Howard’s 25th anniversary year, and in celebration, we are planning a year-worth of activities and special events. Tata & Howard’s doors were officially opened on October 19, 1992 by Don Tata and Paul Howard, who remain active in the firm as Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President, respectively, today. Initially a two-person startup, the firm has grown to over 65 employees with nine offices in seven states. And while our services and experience have expanded exponentially since 1992, we remain a niche water firm with deep, targeted expertise in the water environment.
As part of our year-long celebration, we will be implementing several initiatives that focus on our core values and our