Prospect Street Water Storage Tank – Auburn, MA
Tata & Howard was contracted to provide Design, Construction Administration, and Resident Project Representation services for the construction of the Prospect Street Water Storage Tank in Auburn, MA.
The project consists of the construction of a 1.0-million-gallon capacity glass-fused-to-steel water storage tank with associated piping and appurtenances, electrical work, a tank mixing system, and site work. Other work included the decommissioning and demolition of the pre-existing 500,000-gallon capacity welded steel water storage tank at the site.
The tank will be brought on-line in January, 2020 and all site work will be completed in the spring.
Newton, MA – Lead Service Replacement Program
Tata & Howard was contracted to provide design, construction administration and resident project representation for the replacement of 588 lead services in Newton, MA.
Although the water that services the City is not corrosive, replacing lead services is a cautious and preventative measure to avoid lead from potentially leaching into tap water via the service connection which is located from the water main to the meter.
Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. As such, the affected lead services in Newton were installed between 1875 and 1915.
Of the 588 total services;
- 318 were full-service replacements (from water main to meter)
- 266 were partial-service replacements (from curb stop to meter)
- 4 were street only replacements (from water main to curb stop)
Prior to the construction phase of this project, Newton residents were notified about the City’s Lead Service Replacement Program (LSRP). Although not required, those wishing to participate in the program were able to take advantage of a ten-year, no interest payment plan through the City.
Under the LSRP, the City replaced, at its own expense, the portion of the water service pipe which was within the public way from the street line in front of the homeowner’s property, to the City water main. The homeowner then had the option to replace the portion of the water service pipe that ran from their meter to the property line.
Tata & Howard scheduled construction and coordinated with the residents who elected to participate in the LSRP. Crews from C.J.P & Sons Construction worked to excavate the properties and remove/replace the water service pipes. In most cases, limited excavation of homeowner property was needed.
When the project reached completion, 427 total services had been replaced.
(De)leading the Way – Marlborough, MA
The City of Marlborough, MA (home of T&H headquarters) contracted Tata & Howard for the design, pre-construction services, construction administration and resident observation of approximately 1,200 lead water service connections.
Until 1944, lead was widely used in service lines and is quite common in many of the older cities and towns in Massachusetts.
Lead pipes currently placed between the streets and homes of identified Marlborough residents will be replaced with copper pipes in five phases – each phase consisting of approximately 250 homes.
Tata & Howard will be involved in each phase, reviewing tie cards, attending field surveys to determine what each service placement will entail, and advising contractors on the quantity of pipes to be installed in each location.
Although lead is known to be a major health risk to children and pregnant women, the supplier of Marlborough’s water, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), treats all water to reduce lead from getting into drinking water.
Chamberlain Highway Receives New Water Main Connections
The Chamberlain Highway in Meridan, Connecticut has 536 linear feet of new 16-inch ductile iron main and two new fire hydrants. After Tata & Howard completed several test pits to verify connection locations at each end of the new main, construction work started on May 3, 2018 with the installation of a 16” x 16” tapping sleeve and valve at the north end of the project. This existing water main at the north end connection was originally installed in 1894.
Work progressed south until the new main was approximately 50 feet away from the other connection point in West Main Street. Connections to the existing main in West Main Street was performed over a 36-hour period due to the complexity and amount of utilities around the service connection, including a live 24-inch water main five feet away and multiple telephone conduits located 6 inches above the replaced main. Tata & Howard personnel on site at all times to observe that work was in performed in accordance to the plans and specifications.
Following the completion of the Chamberlain Highway water infrastructure improvement project, work to replace two water mains on the state-owned bridge crossing Sodom Brook in Meridan will begin.
Trinity Avenue Pump Station, Grafton, MA
Tata & Howard is providing engineering services to the Grafton Water District for the Trinity Avenue Pump Station at the Trinity Avenue Wellfield. The project included permitting, design, and bidding of the pump station as well as providing assistance with permitting, design, and reporting to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for the proposed Trinity Avenue Well site. The property was owned by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW). The Grafton Water District swapped land with the DFW to obtain ownership and control of the Trinity Avenue site. Test wells were installed and short term pump tests were completed on each of the wells. Based on the results of the tests, it was recommended to install a three well configuration of 18 inch x 12 inch gravel packed wells resulting in approximately 800 gallons per minute (gpm). The project included an evaluation of alternatives for the access road including installation of a bridge or an open bottomed culvert, and T&H assisted with the preparation of permanent easements for the installation of utilities and roadway to the well site. In addition, T&H prepared and submitted an NOI to the Grafton Conservation Commission. Design included double wythe block and interior concrete painted block with wood truss roof and asphaltic shingles; and security included chain link fence, gates, locks, intrusion alarms, and lighting. T&H also assisted with the coordination of the installation of three phase power to site. Chemical feed at the station includes KOH for pH adjustment and chlorine gas for disinfection. Standby power was included in an outdoor enclosure. The design also included a 24-inch transmission main for 4-log removal. Currently, T&H is providing construction administration and resident observation services.
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The Capital Efficiency Plan™ report which included hydraulic modeling, system criticality, and an asset management plan, provided the Utility with a database and Geographic Information System (GIS) representation for each pipe segment within their underground piping system. The CEP report also prioritized the water distribution system piping improvements and provided estimated costs to replace or rehabilitate the water mains.
In response to the CEP™ findings, the Wiscasset Water District retained the services of Tata & Howard, to perform design, bidding, construction administration, and resident project representation services for a series of water main projects.