Underground Construction - November 2020 - 10

NEWSLINE LATEST INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
$56M Settlement Approved
in Massachusetts Gas Explosions

Study Predicts $52 Billion in Water Utility
Trenchless Investments Through 2030

A $56 million settlement between Massachusetts and the natural gas
utility found responsible for a series of explosions and fires in the state
in 2018 was approved by the state Department of Public Utilities.
The settlement with Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and its parent,
NiSource, was agreed to in July and approved last month, the state
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced in a
statement.
The explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover in September
2018 killed one person, injured almost two dozen and damaged more
than 100 buildings. Federal investigators blamed the explosions on
overpressurized gas lines.
The $56 million will be used to provide debt relief to low-income
natural gas customers and fund clean energy and energy efficiency
measures in older homes and buildings.
The settlement also requires Columbia Gas to leave Massachusetts
and transfer its assets to Eversource Energy by Nov. 1.
In separate actions, the company agreed to pay a $143 million
settlement stemming from a class-action lawsuit, and a $53 million
federal fine.

The economic recession combined with aging water infrastructure across
the country may spur more than $50 billion in trenchless technology
investments by water utilities over the next decade, a new study by
Bluefield Research expects.
According to the study, the forecasted 3.4 percent growth rate for
trenchless technology deployments will outpace broader municipal water
infrastructure investment in a post COVID-19, recessionary environment.
The report, " Trenchless Players Move to Redefine Pipe Market:
Forecasts, Competitive Positioning, and Water Market Trends, 2020-2030, "
shows total spend across the range of trenchless technology options
exceeding US $52.5 billion over the next decade.
The lion's share (76 percent) of this spend will focus on the
rehabilitation of underground assets, with the balance spent on
new construction. Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) technology accounts
for 36 percent of projected spending, followed by horizontal directional
drilling (HDD).
The report's findings align with those of Underground Construction
magazine's annual directional drilling survey, which revealed areas
of ongoing demand that demonstrate the value of HDD to the industry.
The primary opportunity will be refurbishing the broader 1.8-million-

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We make it personal because of the things in our
lives that matter most: our friends, our families,
and our well-being. When we make safety a
priority, you can trust that we'll provide the quality,
commitment, and reputation we're known for.

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NOVEMBER 2020 | UCONonline.com

2/24/2020 3:29:33 PM
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Underground Construction - November 2020

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