Underground Construction - August 2022 - 8

NEWSLINE LATEST INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
Tampa Planning $200 Million
Water Infrastructure
Repair Project
The City of Tampa, Fla, is replacing dozens of
miles of aging underground pipes in several
neighborhoods in an estimated $200 million
project that is expected to take more than
three years to complete.
" We will be reducing water main breaks
and reducing the number of cave-ins on
sanitary sewer sites, " Tampa Infrastructure
Administrator Brad Baird told Spectrum News
9, noting the project should improve water
pressure and water quality.
Baird said the construction will occur in
three phases. Phase 1 includes the repair and
relining of around 27 miles of underground
pipes; Phase 2 will target the removal and
replacement of at least 18 miles of pipes;
and Phase 3 will address roadway and
driving surface improvements in all four
neighborhoods, according to the report.
Detroit-area Utility Denies
Responsibility for 2021
Storm Flooding
A Detroit-area water utility said it will deny
flooding claims stemming from a damaging
storm last summer based on an independent
review that found the flooding was caused by
the amount of rainfall and not a defect in its
wastewater collection and pumping system.
The Great Lakes Water Authority said in a
statement that Michigan law also holds that
a public entity can only be held liable for
a sewage disposal system event if a defect
in the system caused at least half of the
problem and damage.
A state of emergency was declared for
Detroit and surrounding Wayne County
following a storm that began on June 25,
2021, and dumped more than 6 inches of
rain, which overloaded the area's wastewater
systems. Some streets and hundreds
of basements were flooded, causing
widespread property damage.
Sue McCormick, who ran the Great Lakes
Water Authority at the time, said days after
the storm that two Detroit water pumping
stations designed to carry wastewater and
excess storm water to treatment facilities
experienced power-related problems but
didn't fail during the storm.
8 AUGUST 2022 | UCONonline.com
The independent investigation ordered by
the water authority's board was completed
by engineering firm AECOM. It " determined
that widespread basement flooding was
inevitable due to the unprecedented amount
and intensity of the rainfall that occurred, "
the authority said.
ASCE Publishes Updated
Utility Standards
The American Society of Civil Engineer
(ASCE) released updated utility standards
in July aimed at reducing redesign,
unnecessary utility relocations, and differing
site conditions and associated costs.
Standard Guideline for Investigating and
Documenting Existing Utilities, ASCE/UESI/CI
38-22 and its companion standard, Standard
Guideline for Recording and Exchanging
Utility Infrastructure Data, ASCE/UESI/CI
75-22, designed to minimize risk, increase
public safety and decrease costs, are now
available in e-book form.
" Utilities have long been a source of
uncertainty during project development, "
Tom Smith, ASCE executive director,
said. " These two standards put control of
significant constructability risks back into the
hands of the design team. "
The updated ASCE 38-22 has been
re-issued and renamed from its previous
edition to more succinctly convey its
purpose. It guides engineers in performing
utility investigations during project
development work to help them design
projects that have minimal impact to existing
utilities, protecting engineers, project
owners, utility owners and the public from
utility related claims.
Standard Guideline for Recording and
Exchanging Utility Infrastructure Data,
ASCE 75-22, is the result of recurring
discussion among various agencies going
back 30 years, for the creation of a utility
" As-Constructed " or " As-Built " standard, to
ensure that new utilities added to a project
or relocated during a project, have accurate
and useable records of their location and
attributes going forward. Although produced
as a project standard, it can also be used
as a utility records development standard
for utility owners.
Navajo Leaders Finalize
Plans for $215 Million in
Water Improvements
Navajo Nation leaders have finalized an
agreement on spending priorities for more
than $1 billion in federal pandemic relief
to improve water, sanitation, housing and
communications infrastructure.
Under the signed resolution, the Navajo
Nation will devote $215 million to water and
wastewater projects, $97 million to extend
electricity to homes, and $250 million on
internet and housing projects. Another
$210 million is set aside for local priorities
determined by Navajo chapterhouse
government units.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez
signed the agreement from the Navajo
Nation Council in July to deliver funding to
improve infrastructure for water, electricity,
high-speed internet, housing, COVID-19
mitigation and specialized hardship
assistance to projects and residents across
the reservation spanning portions of Arizona,
New Mexico and Utah.
The coronavirus pandemic
disproportionately hit Indian Country,
underscored stark disparities in access to
running water, sewage systems and internet
communications amid interruptions in
classroom teaching
The spending at the Navajo Nation is linked
to the American Rescue Plan Act, signed by
President Joe Biden in early 2021. Additional
aid is expected under a massive infrastructure
bill, approved in November 2021, that set
aside $20 billion for Indian Country.
Rise in Trenching Deaths
Spurs Feds to Boost
Enforcement, Oversight
In 2022's fi rst six months, 22 workers fell
victim to the deadly hazards present in
trenching and excavation work - surpassing
15 in all of 2021 - prompting the U.S.
Department of Labor's Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) to launch
enhanced enforcement initiatives to protect
workers from known industry hazards.
OSHA enforcement staff will consider
every available tool at their disposal to
place additional emphasis on how the
agency evaluates penalties for trenching
http://www.UCONonline.com
Underground Construction - August 2022

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