General Services Archives

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.

Falmouth Main Street Water Main Construction

Tata & Howard was contracted to provide design, construction administration and resident observation for the installation of 18,000 linear feet (approximately 3.5 miles) of 16-inch ductile iron water main in Falmouth, MA. Water main replacement will be in Main Street and Route 28. That is, from the intersection of West Main Street and Locust Street, to the intersection of Teaticket Highway and Oxbow Road

New water main will be replacing the town’s 10-inch cast iron water pipes that were originally installed in 1898. Falmouth’s 121-year-old water infrastructure has stood strong for more than a century; however, it has become clear that it’s nearing the end of its useful life and approaching the age at which it needs to be replaced. Evidence of this can be seen in the three water main breaks that have occurred since August of 2018. In addition, the original water main is hydraulically deficient and needs to be up-sized to meet the increasing demands in the system.

Construction began at the beginning of April and continued up until Memorial Day of this year. Construction was limited to off season times due to the heavy tourist months in Cape Cod. Project completion was in the spring of 2021.

Hemlocks Raw Water Pumping Station

Tata & Howard provided engineering services for design, bidding, construction administration, and resident observation to Aquarion Water Company for improvements to their existing Hemlocks Raw Water Pumping Station in Fairfield, CT. The project included refurbishing five 300 hp centrifugal pumps and motors, replacing the existing variable frequency drives (VFDs), installing new piping, check valves, and strainers for each pump.

Hemlocks Pumps — BEFORE improvements to the Hemlocks Pumping Station.

As this facility is a source of supply for Aquarion’s Main System, it needed to be kept operational throughout the construction. The sequence of work required a single pump to be taken off line; refurbished; reinstalled with new piping, VFD, and appurtenances; tested and placed back into service prior to the next pump being taken off line.

Hemlock Pumps — AFTER improvements to the Hemlocks Pumping Station.

Another important aspect of the project was to replace the existing strainers so that they were easier for the plant operators to clean as they get clogged with eels. To simplify maintenance, new stainless steel wye strainers with bottom access to the screens were installed on the suction side of each pump.

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.

Water Treatment Facility, Water Mains, and River Crossing Horizontal Directional Drilling

Tata & Howard provided design and construction services for the construction of a 1.44 mgd water treatment facility. The water treatment facility consists of a concrete block masonry building housing filtration equipment, a laboratory and office space, and associated piping, instrumentation and controls. Building components including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services were incorporated in the facility. Other work included, but is not necessarily limited to, site work, exterior piping systems, and electrical work at an existing well pump station.

Tata & Howard also provided design and construction services for the installation of approximately 5,000 linear feet of new 12-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) water main (two parallel pipes at 2,500 linear feet, each) via directional drilling beneath the Pemigewasset River, connecting the City’s Franklin Falls Well Site and the City’s Acme Well Site.

Tata & Howard provided design and construction services for the installation of approximately 2,655 linear feet of 12-inch diameter Class 52 ductile iron water main, water services, and associated valves, fittings, and hydrants on Hill Road (New Hampshire Route 3A) and a service road connecting Hill Road to the City’s Acme Well site; approximately 4,000 linear feet of 12-inch water main, water services, and associated valves, fittings, and hydrants on Lawndale Avenue, Webster Lake Road, and Kimball Street; approximately 3,200 linear feet along Lawndale Avenue; 1,200 linear feet along Webster Lake Road; and 600 linear feet along Kimball Street. The work also included pavement restoration on Lawndale Avenue, Webster Lake Road, and Kimball Street.

The project was funded by NHDES and the USDA Rural Development office.

On-Call Water Engineering Services, Franklin, NH

Tata & Howard has been assisting the City of Franklin, New Hampshire with general water engineering services since 2009. The Tata & Howard team has managed several phases of work, including the design and construction of the water treatment plant and distribution system improvements.

The first phase was the design and construction of 2,500 linear feet of water main on Hill Road to connect a new water treatment plant to the City’s distribution system. This project also involved use of four bioretention systems to treat and manage stormwater from the roadway, and was constructed in 2010.

The second phase of our work with the City included the design and construction of two parallel 2,500 LF sections of 12-inch diameter HDPE crossings beneath the Pemigewasset River using horizontal directional drilling to transport water from the City’s Franklin Falls Well to the water treatment plant site.

Tata & Howard managed the survey and geophysical studies and prepared a Preliminary Design Report and Environmental Review documents for several phases of work. The City’s wells are surrounded by lands controlled by the US Army Corps of Engineers, which required that we complete an extensive permitting process to secure permissions for the final design of the project.

Tata & Howard completed design, construction, permitting, and funding applications for a 1,000 gallons per minute groundwater treatment plant to remove iron and manganese from three of the City’s wells. The plant has four pressure filters containing Greensand Plus media and using sodium hypochlorite for oxidation and sodium carbonate (soda ash) for pH adjustment. This plant went online July 9, 2012.

Tata & Howard provided design services for the construction of a new prestressed concrete tank at the site of an existing tank. The existing tank was in poor condition and due to the site characteristics, it was determined that construction of the new tank on the existing foundation of the old tank would be the best option. A second tank on the site was demolished in 2013 and a new prestressed concrete tank will be constructed in its place.

Tata & Howard also conducted a full water system analysis for the City of Franklin, New Hampshire by utilizing our proprietary Capital Efficiency Plan™ methodology. Our CEP involved creating a model of all water infrastructure in the City including sources, pump stations, treatment facilities, storage facilities, transmission, and distribution lines. Using our GIS modeling software, the system was calibrated based on fire flows in an attempt to accurately replicate the existing system. We then pinpointed deficiencies within the system based on a custom rating scale given to multiple criteria such as age, break history, material type, criticality and size. Recommendations were made for improvements in order of need. The study renewed both above ground and below ground assets. Funding for this study was in part from an Asset Management Planning Grant from NHDES.

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CMWP, CMOM, and I/I Evaluation, Milford, MA

Tata & Howard is providing all engineering support services related to the operation of and modifications to the Town’s wastewater collection, pumping, and treatment systems including preparation of a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) and preparation of a comprehensive Infiltration/Inflow (I/I) Evaluation. In addition, we are providing all ongoing support services related to the preparation of a Capacity, Management, Operations, and Maintenance (CMOM) program to meet US EPA’s regulations as well as technical assistance on the renewal of the Town’s NPDES permit. Included in this project is the preparation of the Town’s I/I control plan and all annual updates, preparation of the Town’s sewer use regulations and standard specifications for sewer construction, review of plans for all private developments, and review of all applications for industrial wastewater connection permits and pretreatment reports.

All services related to I/I identification, evaluation, and removal performed on the Milford’s sewer system, which consists of approximately 100 miles of interceptor sewers and mains, including an innovative sump pump removal program, has resulted in a dramatic reduction in extraneous flow to the system.

Five Year I/I Control Plan, Leicester, MA

Tata & Howard is working on a five year infiltration/inflow (I/I) control plan for Cherry Valley Sewer District (CVSD) in Leicester, Massachusetts. The program consists of flow monitoring, field investigation, and rehabilitation to the wastewater collection system.

In year one of the program, continuous flow, groundwater, and rainfall monitoring took place in the spring to collect data for program analysis. Simultaneous to the monitoring, manhole inspections were performed to assess I/I potential from manholes.

Year two consisted of a data analysis of the flow monitoring results of year one. The results of this data analysis from the I/I control plan provided guidance to moving forward with I/I investigation.

Field investigation commenced in year three of the program with smoke testing being completed throughout the collection system. To follow up with results from the manhole inspection, manhole rehabilitation was performed on manholes in which I/I was evident.

Year four focused on field investigations. A large section of the collection system was inspected via closed circuit television (CCTV). Follow up building inspections were also performed in areas where sump pump connections were suspected to be an issue. Year four also focused on system operation and maintenance. Documents were created for CVSD to focus on operations and maintenance of the system, and specifically for the manhole which houses the system flow meter into Worcester.

Year five is consisting of further CCTV investigation and a final report to summarize the project and provide recommendations on moving forward with investigations. Future work is anticipated to focus around GIS aspects of the system and working with CVSD to maintain records and reduce I/I by being proactive with investigation and maintenance.

Water Distribution System Study and Capital Efficiency Plans™

Aquarion Water Company
Areas of service: Oxford, Millbury, Hingham and Hull, MA and Hampton, NH

Tata & Howard has been providing general engineering services to the Aquarion Water Company in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for the last five years. Our work has included the design of water mains and storage tanks, new source development, replacement well designs, hydraulic studies and Capital Efficiency Plans™.

As of 2019, We have completed or are currently completing Capital Efficiency Plans™ for each of the systems in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Within the two states, Aquarion Water Company operates a total of approximately 430 miles of water main. Completion of the Capital Efficiency Plans™ has provided Aquarion with a basis for improvements throughout each of the systems. The analysis not only reviewed hydraulic considerations but included a detailed analysis of assets and critical components. By utilizing this approach, Aquarion Water Company was able to spend money effectively on upgrades to the system.

For example, as part of a hydraulic evaluation, it was recommended that Aquarion replace the water main on Mill Road to meet fire flow requirements in the eastern part of the system. After consideration of the age, material, and break history of the surrounding water mains, it was determined that from a capital efficiency standpoint, replacement of the water main on Pine Road would benefit Aquarion more than replacement of the water main on Mill Road.

The water main on Pine Road had reportedly experienced numerous breaks and would eventually require replacement in the near future. Installation of the water main on Pine Road allowed the Aquarion Water Company to meet the needed fire flow requirement, eliminate a problematic water main, and reduce the overall capital cost. All the studies included an analysis of the existing supplies versus the estimated future demands as well as storage capacity. The Hingham/Hull Water Distribution System Study included an analysis of potential water supply sources. Tata & Howard evaluated the potential of connecting to MWRA, buying water from Cohasset and drilling new wells within the Town. All options included potential costs for engineering, permitting and construction.

Tata & Howard completed a storage evaluation for the Hingham and Hull water systems. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine if the Strawberry Hill Tank was needed. Following a tank inspection, the tank was determined to be structurally deficient and needed substantial work to improve the integrity of the elevated tank. The Strawberry Hill Tank had a capacity of 0.51 million gallons and had an overflow elevation that was approximately 20 feet lower than the Turkey Hill Tank located in the same service area. The water in the Strawberry Hill Tank did not fluctuate and caused concern for contaminated water. Based on a storage evaluation and hydraulic analysis, it was determined that the Strawberry Hill Tank was not needed. The Aquarion Water Company subsequently removed the tank from the system.

Services: General Services