August 2017 Vol. 72 No. 8

Neel-Schaffer Doug Wimberly, P.E., P.S., joined the multi-disciplined engineering and planning firm with offices throughout the South, as a senior project manager in the Hattiesburg, MS, office. Matt Keeney, P.E., structural engineer, has joined the firm’s Tuscaloosa MS, office, overseeing all str..

In continuing efforts to deliver the highest-quality products, quickly and cost effectively, Hobas Pipe USA has invested in a water jet saw. Now used on 85 percent of Hobas Pipe fittings, the new, upgraded equipment improves both process and product. Computer-controlled software enables centrifugal..

The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI), announced winners of its Members and Projects of the Year Awards program, which recognizes exceptional achievements showcasing beneficial uses of plastics in pipe applications, and individuals’ extraordinary efforts to improve the nation’s infrastructure and a..

Volvo Construction Equipment sponsored and partnered with SkillsUSA on the Heavy Equipment Competition in Pennsylvania. SkillsUSA is a national career and technical training organization that encourages young Americans to pursue skilled professions in the manufacturing industry. Nine high school s..

A Municipal Sewer Grout School will take place Sept. 13-14, at Aries Industries’ facility in Lithia Springs, GA. Co-sponsored by Aries Industries Inc., Avanti International and Logiball Inc., the two-day program focuses on compliance with NASSCO/ICGA specifications. Contractors, municipal professio..

A new distributor, Powerscreen Ireland, will supply the comprehensive range of ALLU Transformer attachments and provide full aftermarket care, spare parts and dedicated customer service throughout Ireland. The ALLU Transformer Series includes an excavator/loader/tractor mounted bucket that screens,..

National Trench Safety LLC (NTS), a Houston-based company specializing in the rental and sale of trench and traffic safety equipment, trench and traffic safety engineering, and OSHA-compliant training classes, has opened two new branch operations. Its first international location in the UK is manag..

Thompson Pipe Group has entered a definitive agreement to acquire the concrete and steel pressure pipe assets of U.S. Pipe, a division of Forterra. Thompson Pipe Group provides the water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as the power and industrial markets, with various pressure and gravity pi..

Federated Co-Operatives Limited’s Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina, Saskatchewan, was named Industrial Water Project of the Year, as the 2016-commissioned project representing the most impressive technical or environmental achievement in the industrial sector of the international water industry. Us..

The initial results of a survey intended to identify current and future trends for water technology implementation are now available in the form of a new interactive data visualization tool. Developed under the Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT) – a joint initiative between the Water En..

As North American water utilities imagine the future of providing on-demand, high-quality, affordable water and sanitation services to the hundreds of millions of customers who depend on them, a new report underscores the value of innovation in meeting those challenges. Empowering Water Utility Inn..

Solutions to the continuing conflicts between aging infrastructure and pressure on utilities to ensure a safe, resilient water supply, are increasingly focused on software, data and analytics. In US Smart Water: Defining the Opportunity, Competitive Landscape, and Market Outlook, Bluefield Research ..

Under a new commercial collaboration, Xylem will represent Pure Technologies Ltd. products and services to the water sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman), and in India, Singapore and Malaysia. Pure provides a wide range of patented technologie..

Interplastic Corporation’s new CoREZYN resin is now approved for use in potable water pipe and tanks. Part of the company’s CORVE8300DW corrosion-resistant product series, CoREZYN is a vinyl-ester based, NSF/ANSI 61 certified resin for use in desalination piping and equipment, public drinking water ..

Avanti International has produced a new learning resource for solving Infiltration and Inflow (I&I) issues in sanitary and storm water systems. Fundamentals of Municipal Grouting is a 16-module video series designed as an interactive learning experience for those who need-to-know and want-to-solve t..

The HydraTite internal joint seal, manufactured by HydraTech Engineered Products LLC, has a long and proven history for repairing leaking joints in man-entry sized piping. When joints in box culverts, tunnels, conduits or other structures with non-circular or -elliptical profiles need repair, howeve..

The 2018 RehabZone, held in conjunction with the annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT), is still months away, but planning has been underway since April. The RehabZone is a special “no-sell” area providing objective information about rehabilitation of..

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In March, Dr. John Matthews assumed the position of director of the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) at Louisiana Tech University. TTC is a leading research facility for the development of technologies influencing the various trenchless construction and rehabilitation methods. It is recognized as..

The Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE) at the University of Texas-Arlington held its 15th annual trenchless technology inspector training and certification schools Jan. 29-30, in conjunction with the Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exh..

In the “lazy days” of summer, you’re probably not thinking about January 2018, but we are! A mere five months away, preparations for Underground Construction magazine’s 23rd Annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) are kicking into high gear. UCT will b..

The Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association (PVCPA), which represents U.S. and Canadian manufacturers of PVC pipe, announced the completion of the first comprehensive environmental and performance review of water and sewer pipes in North America. The study used life-cycle assessment methodology to evaluate th..

By Peter Kuntz Utility contractors face enormous risks in performing their work. These can include third-party liability, environmental, mobile equipment, cyber, workers’ compensation, third-party over-action, commercial auto liability, management liability – and more frequently – first-party prope..

Legislation that would open the door to private investment in water and wastewater infrastructure investment was introduced recently by U.S. Reps. John “Jimmy” Duncan (R-TN) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ). The Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act, which would remove water and wastewater infrast..

Vacuworx has introduced a compact vacuum lifting system for handling concrete slabs, steel trench plates, pipe and other job-site lifting needs. The new CM 3 system is designed to fit on skid-steer loaders, track and articulated wheel loaders, said Randy Hayes, Vacuworx corporate sales director. “T..

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took another major step toward issuing its first credit subsidies for water infrastructure projects. It published a final rule in June, specifying fees it would charge counties and cities expected to vie for money in the first round of funding under the Wate..

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning, and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state’s water resources, approved more than $44 million of financial assistance for..

The June lunch meeting of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Underground Construction Technology Association in Houston featured Harris County Commissioner “Cactus” Jack Cagle, who has worked in Harris County Precinct 4 for 30 years, as an attorney, elected judge and commissioner for the past six years. ..

The National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) has become a Charter Organizational Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute (UESI). This partnership furthers UESI’s mission to foster a collaborative and growing institute to mee..

Subsite Electronics, a Charles Machine Works Company, has acquired the assets of R.S. Technical Services Inc. (RST), an innovator in the design and manufacture of closed-circuit television remote inspection and monitoring cameras. The deal adds proven camera inspection capabilities to Subsite’s robu..

Residential water and wastewater bills have steadily increased by 5.7 percent annually over the past five years, outpacing average annual income growth (5 percent) and inflation (1.9 percent), and magnifying the financial challenges facing municipal water utilities. According to Bluefield Research’s..

Driving home recently, I spotted electric company personnel diligently working in the extreme heat and humidity to replace wooden power poles. It looked like this was going to be a major project as most of the poles in the area were in poor condition. The poles’ tenants – power and telephone lines, ..