The town of Canaan, VT has received $4.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development to address chronic water quality issues. Engineering is being provided by Tata & Howard, and construction is expected to commence by May 2015. Read the full article here: Caledonian Record May 29 2014 – Canaan VT receives funding to address water quality
Category: Newsworthy
Ryan P. Neyland, P.E., promoted to Project Manager
Ryan P. Neyland, P.E., has over nine years of concentrated water treatment experience. Mr. Neyland has been involved in numerous water projects including all phases of planning, design, and construction services, as well as pump station rehabilitation and SCADA. Mr. Neyland is currently working on the 8 mgd Falmouth Dissolved Air Flotation Water Treatment Plant. He works out of our Marlborough office and can be reached at 508-303-9400 x108 or rneyland@tataandhoward.com.
2014 Water Shortage Preparedness Report Now Available
AWWA has released a report on the results of its Water Shortage Preparedness Survey and it is now available for download. The final report reflects analysis of 485 water utility responses to questions about utility practices and policies for water shortage planning and implementation.
In AWWA’s 2014 State of the Water Industry report, drought/periodic water shortages were ranked as the eighth most important issue facing water professionals. In addition, future droughts and water shortages may be exacerbated by climate change, which can magnify the effects of water shortages especially following extreme sequential swings, e.g., water quality changes brought about by drought (where impacts can develop) followed by flooding (where those impacts are realized).
The survey results are intended to serve as a foundation for action and further discovery. Water professionals across North America continue to meet society’s expectations for safe and clean water by developing and implementing solutions to solve a never-ending stream of difficult issues, including water shortages. As we confront these challenges, AWWA will continue to serve as a bridge organization, uniting the worlds of science and research, policy, and practice to address these critical issues.
SOURCE: American Water Works Assocation
Saxtons River, VT Considers UV Light Treatment for Wastewater
Saxtons River, Vermont is considering an upgrade to their aging wastewater treatment facility. Engineering firm Marquise & Morano introduced three plans to Saxtons River Trustees at a meeting, and Gary A. Leach, P.E., Vice President of Tata & Howard, presented an option using sequencing batch reactors (SBR) as the best option. The SBR process uses ultraviolet (UV) light instead of chlorine to treat wastewater. Not only is the SBR option the most economical, but it is also a green initiative. UV utilizes only light, and therefore eliminates all processes associated with the handling and transport of chemicals, and it is safer for operators and aquatic life. For more information on the Saxtons River wastewater treatment project, click here.
Congratulations to our Newest Vice Presidents!
Karen L. Gracey, P.E., and Jenna W. Rzasa, P.E., have both been promoted to Vice President and elected to the Board of Directors
Karen has been with the firm for over 15 years, managing hydraulic analyses, asset management studies, and water system design projects. She has managed and provided technical reviews on many of the firm’s Capital Efficiency Plans™. Additionally, she serves as Manager of Business Development for the firm. Karen’s role in client development and managing high profile clients has been key to the success of the firm.
Jenna joined the firm over 16 years ago. She serves as manager on water system design projects as well as firm-wide Manager of Project Finance, and has served as manager of our New Hampshire operations. Jenna has been instrumental in developing and maintaining clients in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Dilla Street Water Treatment Plant Open House a Huge Success
On October 26, Milford Water Company held an open house for the newly completed Dilla Street Water Treatment Plant. Tata & Howard’s Randy Suozzo, P.E., Project Manager for the project, and Neil Callahan, Project Manager for R.H. White Construction Company during construction, led attendees on the tour and answered questions.
The event, which lasted four hours, was attended by nearly 150 people and garnered excellent reviews. “I found it very interesting and informative. The technology is incredible,” noted attorney Warren Heller. And attendee Bill Sanborn commented, “It’s good to see our dollars at work.”
Unlike its predecessor, which utilized slow sand filters constructed in the early 1900’s, the new plant uses dissolved air flotation (DAF) to filter impurities. The process, though technologically advanced, is simple to understand: particulates and contaminants are floated to the top of a filter tank and removed, and the resulting water is then further filtered through granulated activated carbon (GAC) and chlorine tanks before being disbursed to water mains. In addition, the new treatment facility utilizes far less chlorine than its predecessor. Noted Milford Water Company Manager David Condrey, “We are putting in half what we put in with the old plant.”
The new facility also integrates multiple safety measures. Every step of the filtration process is precisely controlled by a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer system, and the plant itself is monitored 24-hours a day. “There are over 300 alarms in the plant. Everything is tracked,” assured Callahan.
Open House attendees were treated to custom bottled water. The bottles bore Milford Water Company labels and the water itself came directly from the treated water at the plant. Condrey said that Milford Water Company intends to continue bottling small batches of water to be donated at local road races and other community events.
Ryan Neyland, P.E., joins Tata & Howard as a Senior Project Engineer
We are pleased to announce that Ryan Neyland has joined the Tata & Howard team at our Marlborough, MA office. Ryan brings almost ten years of comprehensive drinking water engineering experience to Tata & Howard. He has targeted expertise in water treatment including pilot studies, full scale designs, and construction oversight. Additionally, Ryan has significant experience with master planning, distribution system analysis, and implementation of water meter and automatic meter reading (AMR) systems.
Ryan can be reached at 508-303-9400 x108 or at rneyland@tataandhoward.com.
Running to Support the Special Olympics
Tata & Howard employees joined runners from around the Marlborough area on September 13, 2013 for the Special Olympics of Massachusetts Fall Lunchtime 5K. The noontime run, which took place at The Yawkey Sports Training Center on Forest Street in Marlborough, allowed employees to have a fun, active break in the workday while also benefitting the athletes of Special Olympics Massachusetts.
It was a win-win all around!
Stephen K. Rupar joins Tata & Howard
Stephen Rupar has joined Tata & Howard as an Associate and Manager of our Meriden, CT office. He brings over 25 years of experience in water utility engineering with expertise in capital improvement program management, capital efficiency improvement, water resource planning, water loss control, hydraulic modeling, and distribution planning and design. Of note, Steve helped develop the first comprehensive underground asset management plan for the 1,700 miles of piping in the distribution system of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority in New Haven, CT.
Steve serves as Trustee for the Connecticut Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Secretary for the South Central CT Water Utility Coordinating Committee. He is a member of the AWWA Water Loss Control Committee.
Steve can be reached at 203-235-5760 or at srupar@tataandhoward.com.
USEPA has released the 2013 Draft New Hampshire MS4 Permit
On February 12, 2013, the USEPA published the 2013 Draft New Hampshire MS4 Permit in the Federal Register, and updated  its website for this permit:
https://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/stormwater/MS4_2013_NH.html#2008DraftNewHampshireSmallMS4Permit
The agency also posted a Fact Sheet that includes responses to comments it received on the 2008 Draft New Hampshire MS4 Permit.
The public comment period for the 2013 Draft NH MS4 Permit is from February 12, 2013 to 11:59 pm April 15, 2013.  A public hearing is set for Thursday, March 14 2-5 PM in Portsmouth. Tata & Howard will attend the public hearing, and will provide comments to USEPA.  Please contact us at (207) 518-9500 with questions about this permit, or for assistance in determining the impact of this proposed permit on your community.