News Briefs: Bus Sinks, Broken Water Main Gets the Blame

In this week's news, a water main sinks a bus, London plans a $6.5 billion sewer project and Canada leads the way in defining "flushable" wipes.
News Briefs: Bus Sinks, Broken Water Main Gets the Blame

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In Tempe, Ariz., people are still talking about the Valley Metro bus that got stuck in a sinkhole. And now, city officials know the cause of the water main break that sank the vehicle and sent water rushing into nearby businesses: the failure of a 12-inch cast-iron pipe from 1985.

“Contrary to what you might think, the oldest pipe isn’t always the pipe that fails first, says Deputy Director of Water Utilities Marilyn DeRosa in an Arizona 3TV interview.

DeRosa suspects the pipe had been cracked for years and finally gave out.

“A lot of our asset management program right now is focused on replacing cast-iron line,” she says.

The bus, which was carrying 12 passengers, was eventually removed with assistance from a crane. The passengers and driver were evacuated through emergency side windows.

Source: AZ3, AZ Central 

Washington Hosts Infrastructure Summit

On Sept. 10, more than 100 leaders representing private investors and state and local municipalities convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss economic growth opportunities related to U.S. infrastructure. The Obama Administration hosted the event as part of the Build American Initiative, which was launched in July 2014. The aim of the initiative is to expand private-public partnerships in infrastructure projects.

In conjunction with the Summit, the Water Research Foundation and the Water Environment Research Foundation released an executive summary that stated 30 cities and public utilities are planning to collectively invest $233 billion in operating and improving municipal water systems over the next 10 years. The report emphasizes the critical role water and wastewater infrastructure will play in job creation and economic growth.

According to a Summit fact sheet released by the White House, “The President has been clear that we need to do more to improve our roads, bridges, water systems, electrical grids and other vital infrastructure systems. This means increasing public support for infrastructure and making investments for the long-term.”

Source: White House press release 

Canada Leads Push for Flushable Wipes Standard

Barry Orr, a wastewater official in London, Ontario, is among those leading an international effort to define “flushability” when it comes to personal care products. Orr is working with the Geneva-based International Standards Organization to develop tests that will determine the flushability of many products currently on the market that claim to be sewer- and septic-safe.

“Canada is at the forefront in addressing the flushability of these products,” says Orr in The Globe and Mail. “We’re leading the ISO, and we’re working with nations across the globe to make improvements.”

Source: The Globe and Mail

Big Broken-Down Bertha Gets Some Help

Bertha, the tunneling machine employed on an infrastructure project in Seattle, Wash., sits quietly waiting for repairs as workers figure out how to access the massive piece of equipment. The machine moved about three feet last week as workers took the next step in repair work. In December 2013, Bertha hit a pipe and quit working. Efforts are now being made to create a pit that will support a large crane designed to pull Bertha out of the ground so it can be repaired.

The breakdown set the 2-mile tunneling project back by about a year. The tunnel is now expected to be completed in 2016.

Source: King Channel 5

London Plans $6.5 Billion Thames Sewer Tunnel

The Thames Tideaway Tunnel, a London super-sewer, has received a governmental green light after a six-month review process. The 15-mile long, 24-foot wide tunnel will upgrade a drainage system that dates back to Victorian times and will help the city cope with an estimated 30 million tons of raw sewage that spills into waterways each year.

The Thames Water Utilities estimates construction will begin in 2016 and take seven years to complete. The project will involve 24 construction sites across London and will use six tunnel-boring machines from five drive sites.

“This is a challenging infrastructure project,” says Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in the New Civil Engineer. “But it is clear that the Thames Tunnel will help modernize London’s aging Victorian sewerage system and make the River Thames cleaner and safer.”

Source: The Contruction Index , New Civil Engineer



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