Project Category: Water

Water Treatment Plant, Amherst, MA

Tata & Howard contracted with the Town of Amherst for design, permitting, and bidding of the 1.5 million gallon per day (MGD) Centennial Water Treatment Plant, to treat surface water from the Pelham Reservoir System.  The existing Centennial WTP, located in the Town of Pelham but supplying the Amherst Public Water System, has a history of issues with turbidity, color, and disinfection byproducts in the form of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAA5) because of high levels of organics in the Pelham Reservoir System.  Due to the age and condition of the existing WTP, the filters which were the primary treatment process at the existing WTP were no longer effective at removing organics, leading to a decrease in finished water quality and total WTP capacity.  The existing Centennial WTP has been offline since 2018 due to water quality, as well as infrastructure concerns related to a lightning strike which impacted pumping equipment and communications at the Centennial Water Treatment Plant’s raw water pump station.

Based on the results of the pilot study performed by the Town of Amherst, Tata & Howard completed design of the new Centennial Water Treatment Plant including dissolved air flotation (DAF) clarifiers and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration for treatment of organics, color, turbidity, and low levels of iron and manganese.  The DAF system includes polyaluminaum chloride for coagulation, two rapid mix chambers, and three package DAF units which each include two high rate flocculation chambers, two low-rate flocculation chambers, a saturation tank, effluent collection system, discharge weir, mechanical skimmers and beach, and associated appurtenances and controls.  Three dual media filter chambers with a silica sand/course garnet base layer and GAC above are located downstream of the DAF units, prior to final chemical addition.

Additional chemical feed includes a gaseous chlorine system for 4-log inactivation of viruses, gaseous ammonia for chloramine formation, sodium fluoride for dental health, and sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment and corrosion control. The new facility also includes an advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for automated control of the water treatment plant.  Operators for the Town of Amherst will be able to remotely monitor and control operation of the Centennial WTP, through a recently extended town fiber optic cable network.

The design of the Centennial WTP included provisions to maintain the Amherst water distribution system, as even with the Centennial WTP offline, the clearwell of the existing facility also serves to maintain pressure in a small portion of the water distribution system between the Centennial WTP and a booster pump station.  The Centennial WTP feeds the majority of the water system (excluding the portion between the WTP and the booster pump station) by gravity.  Since the existing WTP including the clearwell will be demolished prior to construction of the new WTP, design and construction of the new WTP will include a temporary water storage tank to maintain pressure and keep all connections active in the high service area of the Amherst Public Water System.

Permitting for this project included a BRP WS 24 New Treatment Plant application with MassDEP, Site Plan Review with the Pelham Zoning Board of Appeals, and a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) with Pelham Conservation Commission.

The Centennial Water Treatment Plant was recently bid and awarded to R.H. White Construction Co. of Auburn, MA for a contract amount of $18,876,000.  This project received funding though the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, and construction is expected to be completed by the summer of 2025.

Steele Street Pump Station, New Britain, CT

Steele Street Pump Station

Tata & Howard provided engineering services for modifications to the Steele Street Pump Station including installation of a new constant-run type pump station with variable frequency drives; and design and installation of a new permanent outdoor diesel generator and automatic transfer switch.

In addition, T&H provided construction administration and resident observation services for the modifications to the pump station.

Steele Street Pump Station Standby Generator

Water Infrastructure and Conservation Adjustment (WICA) Water Mains, Hazardville, CT

Tata & Howard provided design, bidding, and construction administration services for approximately 2,600 linear feet of new water main in Enfield, CT.

Approximately 500 linear feet of existing 10-inch asbestos cement water main on Hazard Avenue was replaced with new 12-inch HDPE water main. This water main crosses a ConnDOT 48-inch culvert and the replacement was completed using horizonal directional drilling. Approximately 2,100 linear feet of existing 2-inch steel and 6-inch asbestos cement water main was replaced with new 8-inch ductile iron water main. Wetlands permitting and coordination with the ConnDOT were required to cross the existing 48-inch culvert on Hazard Avenue.

Bidding services and construction administration services with full-time resident project representation and site visits were also provided.

Bargh Replacement Raw Water Pipeline, CT

Tata & Howard was retained by Aquarion Water Company of CT for the Bargh Replacement Raw Water Pipeline Project. The project consisted of assisting Aquarion Water Company of CT with sizing a new diversion pipeline from the Bargh Raw Water Pumping Station in to the Putnam Reservoir, both in Greenwich, CT, preparing design plans and specifications for the new 24-inch water main, assisting Aquarion with permit acquisition for the project, and performing field testing to identify the ledge profile along the main.

Construction administration and resident observation services were also performed. Stake out the pipeline, review clearing limits with Contractor, Landscape Architect, Arborist, Stamford and Greenwich, observe CCTV storm drain inspections, accompany Contractor and subs on pre-blast surveys and document, and arrange for Archeologist to delineate sensitive areas to protect.

Raw water pipes
Culvert in Greenwich, CT

Godfrey Brook Water Treatment Plant

The Milford Water Department’s Godfrey Brook Water Treatment Plant (WTP) construction is in its final stage to startup and activation. Today’s volume and demand for daily water use may have changed since the town incorporated in 1881, but one goal remains constant to this day: safe water.

Team T&H continues to deliver safe, potable water through engineering excellence of precision, collaboration, feedback, and commitment between all team members, water department operators, and project managers. The Godfrey Brook WTP project scope involves construction administration and resident project representative services. Process elements of the project include biological iron and manganese pressure flters, a packed tower aerator, and chemical addition for the purpose of pH adjustment, corrosion control, and disinfection.  The new WTP includes a clearwell to achieve 4-Log inactivation of viruses prior to the distribution system. The WTP also includes HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and advanced SCADA systems for monitoring and control of the new treatment plant and the wells. Site work includes new raw and finished water mains, stormwater controls in the form of a sub-grade stormwater infiltration system, and residuals storage tanks for solids handling after backwashing the biological filters, and electrical including a new electrical standby generator. The project also includes site upgrades to the wells and access road, including an RCP culvert replacement to improve drainage of Godfrey Brook (a tributary stream into the Charles River), submersible well pumps and motors for the seven wells, and a precast concrete raw water metering vault for flow control. Currently, the biological filters are in the acclimation phase, the final step prior to a performance test to confirm effectiveness of removing iron and manganese.


Located to the left of the Godfrey Brook WTP’s exterior stands a packed tower aerator (shown above). The tower aerator removes carbon dioxide to increase pH in a more cost effective manner than chemical addition, and adds dissolved oxygen before the biological manganese filters, which is critical to biological filtration.

Biological manganese filters (above) come after the packed tower aerator for efficient removal of manganese.  Biological iron filter is upstream of the packed tower to optimize the performance of all downstream processes.

The project included a culvert reconstruction to replace a damaged pipe. Culverts are trench-like constructs designed to allow free-flowing water beneath a road or railway, whether stormwater or a stream. Pictured is the finished culvert over Godfrey Brook, a tributary to the Charles River. 

T&H team members Matt O’Dowd, Juliette Burcham, Mitch Garon, and Barry Pociask review the electrical connection for the disconnect of the submersible well pump for well 1A. The Godfrey Brook Wellfield features seven total gravel packed wells: five rehabilitated and two newly installed.

The newly installed chemical feed system includes skid-mounted chemical metering pumps used for potassium hydroxide; here, chemical addition occurs for pH adjustment, along with the addition of sodium hypochlorite for disinfection and zinc orthophosphate for corrosion control prior to entering the water distribution system. 

Maine Water – Hydraulic Modeling & Fire Flow Analysis

Tata & Howard completed the Water Distribution System Comprehensive System Facility Plan for the Maine Water Company – Biddeford/Saco Division in 2013. This plan included updating and verifying the system’s hydraulic model and was utilized to develop distribution system recommendations for existing and future demand conditions.  Prioritized recommendations were developed for future implementation. The recommendations included distribution system operation and maintenance practices and water main improvements to strengthen transmission capabilities, promote looping and mitigate fire flow deficiencies.

Based on Tata & Howard’s knowledge and experience with the Maine Water hydraulic model, and the regional increase in residential development, T&H has recently been retained to provide hydraulic modeling and fire flow analysis for several proposed subdivisions or areas of critical concern including:

  • Sumter Landing – Old Orchard Beach, ME
  • West Saco Development – Saco, ME
  • Portland Avenue – Old Orchard Beach, ME
  • Breakwater Retirement Community – Rockland, ME

Another task requested by Maine Water was identified based on historic concerns for fire flows in the system’s low service area in Biddeford, ME.  Tata & Howard produced model iterations to identify the most appropriate location for a pressure reducing valve (PRV) vault from the high service area to allow additional flow in case of a fire.  Several locations were identified and modeled with the Pike Street boundary location determined to be the most appropriate from a constructability standpoint.  Subsequently, Maine Water negotiated a design contract to prepare bid documents for the PRV structure and appurtenances.

Finally, due to historic water quality concerns in the Pine Point area of Saco, ME, Maine Water retained Tata & Howard to run an Extended Period Simulation (EPS) for the Pine Point service area, and in particular, the Pine Point Storage Tank.  During low demands in the off-season (winter) months, the Pine Point tank SCADA historically had indicated no changes in level.  The EPS was developed using systemwide data and historic demands.  Alternatives were evaluated including transmission line modifications/replacements, taking the tank off-line during the off-season, and evaluating a booster pump station to force cycling of the tank.  Based on the results as well as factoring in operation and maintenance costs associated with the alternatives, design of a booster pump station was recommended.

 

Capital Improvements and Asset Management Plan, Gardner, MA

Tata & Howard prepared a Capital Improvements and Asset Management Plan (CIP) for the existing water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.  The purpose of the CIP is to develop a complete inventory of all assets with replacement costs and useful life to assist the DPW in identifying areas in need of rehabilitation, repair, or replacement and prioritize improvements to make the most efficient use of the DPW’s budget.

The CIP was divided into three parts, water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. Buried and above ground infrastructure was evaluated for the water and wastewater systems and the stormwater evaluation included drainage pipes and structures.  The stormwater asset evaluation including a field inspection of every outfall.  The outfalls were mapped and a condition assessment performed.  Water and wastewater above ground infrastructure included all supply, treatment, pumping, and storage components.  Equipment, including vehicles, lawn mowers, and construction equipment was not included in the inventory.

As part of the water and wastewater pipe asset management evaluation, each segment of pipe was evaluated based on material, age, diameter, soil conditions, break history, and system specific concerns such as static pressure, potential water hammer, infiltration and inflow (I/I) concerns, and known operation and maintenance issues.  The stormwater outfalls were evaluated based on condition, catchment size, pipe size and material, size compromised and soil conditions.

The asset management plan for above ground infrastructure included an inventory and evaluation of all above ground facilities, including the water supplies, water and wastewater treatment facilities, pump stations, and storage tanks.  The evaluation was used to develop a prioritized list of assets and a replacement schedule.  The DPW now has a working database that can be updated as new information becomes available and can be reviewed when reviewing selection of yearly capital projects.  Also, by reviewing the water, wastewater, and stormwater system together, the study can be used to make more efficient use of funds by potentially addressing water, wastewater and stormwater needs together on a street.

New Hampton Road Water Main Project

Tata & Howard recently completed design, funding, and construction phase services in the City of Franklin, NH for the $3.5M New Hampton Road Water Main Project. The new 16-inch and 12-inch ductile iron water mains replaced a 1940’s era unlined cast iron water main (approximately 14,000 linear feet) with a history of main breaks and extends over three (3) miles from the Babbitt Road Booster Station to the Sanbornton Wellfield.

The water main was identified as a priority in the 2016 Capital Efficiency Plan prepared by Tata & Howard and will provide improved water quality, distribution pressure, and fire protection.

Tata & Howard assisted the City with maximizing the NHDES SRF Loan with the City’s paving program funds to fully reconstruct 9,000 linear feet of New Hampton Road as part of the project.

Park Construction Company of Fitzwilliam, NH was the General Contractor for the project which was initiated in March and completed on time in November of 2020 following all recommended Covid-19 protocols.

Willis Road Wastewater Pumping Station, Gardner, MA

Tata & Howard was contracted to provide construction administration and part-time resident project representative services for the construction of upgrades to the Willis Road pump station.

The Willis Road Pump Station in Gardner, MA is a wastewater pumping station originally constructed in 1983. The pumping station was designed to handle a Total Maximum Daily Flow of 625 gallons per minute (gpm) or 900,000 gallons per day (gpd). The station pumps all the wastewater collected into the collection system through approximately 1,050 feet of 6-inch ductile iron force main.

The wastewater pumping station improvement project consisted of replacement of the station’s two 270 gpm centifugal pumps and motors, new control panels, new emergency generator, and upgrade of the existing pump building at a cost of $775,000.

 

 

 

East Mountain Road Water Storage Tank, Westfield, MA

Tata & Howard was contracted to provide design, bidding services, construction administration, and resident observation for the new water storage tank on East Mountain Road in Westfield, MA. The project included subconsultant work for the development of a survey, borings work, geotechnical evaluation and report, and environmental services to prepare a Habitat Assessment and MESA Checklist.

The design phase of the project consisted of the following:

  • Development of a site plan showing the proposed 2.1 MG precast, pre-stressed, wire-wound concrete tank location
  • New 16-inch diameter water main
  • Removal of the existing 16-inch AC water main
  • Access road improvements.

The new tank and access road required a Stormwater Management Permit to be filed with the City Engineering Department. Permits were filed with MassDEP, FAA, and MESA.

The construction administration phase consisted of the following:

  • Attending progress meetings with the client
  • Providing consultation on construction matters
  • Contracting with a qualified biologist to develop and supervise implementation of the Rare Vertebrate Protection Plan
  • Review and approval of shop drawings, schedules, and other data
  • Final observations of project
  • Finished set of record drawings

The resident project representative phase included the services of a part-time Resident Project Representative at the site to assist in the observation of the work.

The precast concrete tank, constructed by DN Tanks, is made of multiple concrete panels that were cast on site and lifted into place by a crane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new 2.1 mg tank will replace the city’s original 2.7 mg tank and is now online.