News Briefs: Sewer Worker Dies After Falling Into Manhole

In this week’s news briefs, Flint kicks off its lead waterline replacement program, an Alaska water utility considers emergency storage reserves, and OSHA investigates a tragedy in Texas.
News Briefs: Sewer Worker Dies After Falling Into Manhole

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A 65-year-old worker died earlier this month after falling 50 feet into an open manhole. The man was part of a crew hired by the City of Houston to clean sanitary sewers in Humble, Texas, where the accident occurred.

According to KHOU, witnesses say employees were picking up equipment when the man accidentally stepped into the open sewer.

“It had been covered with some plywood, (and) it didn’t hold him,” says Mike Garber, general contractor for the project. “It’s a tragedy. That’s the only way you can describe it.”

The victim, whose name was not released, worked for Alexander Industrial Services of Phenix City, Alabama.

OSHA inspectors were called to the scene to investigate any possible safety violations.

Source: KHOU

Flint Kicks Off Waterline Replacement Program
The City of Flint, Michigan, has kicked off a $55 million program to begin replacing lead pipes in the city’s water system.

“This is a day we’ve been waiting for almost two years,” Mayor Karen Weaver said in a news conference. “My mission is to totally get the lead out of Flint.”

According to a CNN report, the “Fast Start” initiative aims to replace lead pipes in residences for at-risk groups, such as pregnant women, children under the age of 6, people with comprised immune systems, and homes where testing shows high lead levels.

Source: CNN

Alaska Water Utility Considers Emergency Storage Reserves
The Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility is looking to build two new emergency storage reservoirs in Eagle River, Alaska. KTUU reports that the agency is looking to store up to 10 million gallons of emergency water. Current facilities have a capacity of about 3.8 million gallons.

AWWU is seeking to purchase land for the proposed project and is currently gathering public input in lieu of a public meeting later this month. Stephen Nuss, an engineer for AWWU, says the utility has budgeted $650,000 to $700,000 for the land acquisition phase of the projects.

The community currently has two days worth of water in the event of an emergency. The goal would be to increase that to three days. Each reservoir would cost between $5 million to $7 million to construct.

“We’re looking to have by the end of 2016 agreements in place to actually purchase certain parcels of property if we can work out all the details and make sure the land is in the right location and right spot for our needs,” Nuss says. “Once we secure the land we’ll start budgeting for the actual construction sites, so the construction of the reservoirs will be some three to five years out.”

Source: KTUU



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