November 2024 Vol. 79 No. 11
Newsline
Newsline November 2024
Honolulu Proposes Sewer Fee Increases to Improve Wastewater Infrastructure
The city and county of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV) has announced plans to increase sewer fees over the next 10 years, starting July 1, 2025.
This marks the first proposed rate increases since 2016 and aims to fund critical improvements to the city’s wastewater infrastructure, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and protect public health and the environment.
The proposed rate adjustments begin with a 9 percent increase annually for the first six years, followed by smaller increases of 8 percent, 7 percent, 6 percent, and 5 percent in the final four years. This results in a total fee increase of 115 percent over the decade.
The additional revenue will help cover rising operation and maintenance costs and support essential construction projects, including the completion of the $2.5 billion upgrade of the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant to full secondary treatment—an obligation under the city’s 2010 federal consent decree. The funds will also address necessary repairs and upgrades to modernize Oahu’s aging wastewater collection and treatment systems, preparing them for climate change and sea-level rise.
Fort Collins to Control Floodwater With $42 Million Storm Pipe Project
Fort Collins is working to complete a $42 million storm pipe project that would mitigate storm-related overflow of the nearby Poudre River, according to KUNC. The river, which saw flows higher than 600 cfs during summer runoff, could be entirely carried by the new stretch of pipe, once complete.
Specialized equipment and the scope of the task contributed to the $42 million price tag—one of the most expensive ever taken on by Fort Collins. The project represents 6.5% of the city’s annual budget.
Starting in 1997, repeated flood events have spurred a progression of floodplain management for the city of Fort Collins that accelerated in 2013. The need for the current project was also backed by a city-conducted survey. Possible completion is estimated for Q2 2026.
Deer Creek Sanitary Tunnel Named Project of the Year by ASCE Chapter
KAI 360 Construction Services (KAI 360 CS) is proud to announce that the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) St. Louis Section has named the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District’s (MSD) Deer Creek Sanitary Tunnel and Pump Station as its 2024 Project of the Year. This $150 million, 3.9-mile tunnel and associated dewatering pump station is designed to prevent sanitary sewer overflows, protecting local residents and businesses from potential environmental and health risks.
Under a contract with MSD, KAI provided construction management services for the Deer Creek Pump Station project, which was designed by Parsons Corporation and constructed by KCI Construction. ASCE St. Louis presented MSD and the Deer Creek project team with the award on Sept. 20 during its Annual Awards Dinner. The Project of the Year award is presented annually to a St. Louis area “engineering project that demonstrates the greatest engineering skills and represents the greatest contribution to civil engineering progress and mankind.”
The four-mile-long Deer Creek Sanitary Tunnel extends from Clayton Road in the City of Clayton to Interstate 44 in the City of Shrewsbury. Located 150-250 feet below ground in deep rock, the tunnel travels through the heavily populated municipalities of Richmond Heights, Clayton, Brentwood, Maplewood, Webster Groves and Shrewsbury.
SAK Construction began mining for and installing the 19-foot-diameter tunnel in 2017 using a 22-foot diameter tunnel boring machine dubbed “Mrs. Nancy.” During periods of heavy rain, the tunnel has the capacity to store more than 38 million gallons of peak sanitary sewer flows, which alleviates the overcharging that contributes to basement backups and sewer overflows.
Located at the downstream end of the storage tunnel, KCI Construction started building the $32.3 million pump station in September 2020 to dewater the tunnel. Together the system conveys sewage to the wastewater treatment plant at a controlled rate, which eliminates an expensive treatment plant expansion. In April 2023, the Deer Creek Sanitary Tunnel and Pump Station was completed despite suffering a delay due to unexpected flooding in July 2022 when St. Louis received over nine inches of rain in a 24-hour period.
Frontier-Kemper Wins $1.1 Billion New York Tunnel Project
Tutor Perini has announced that its subsidiary, Frontier-Kemper Constructors has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $1.1 billion by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for the Kensico-Eastview Connection Tunnel Project. The scope of work entails the construction of a new deep rock tunnel between the Kensico Reservoir and the Catskill/Delaware Ultraviolet (CDUV) Light Disinfection Facility, both in Westchester County, New York.
“The new tunnel will provide an additional means of conveying water between the Kensico Reservoir and the CDUV Facility, enhancing operational resiliency and redundancy for New York City’s water supply system,” explained Tutor Perini.
Work is expected to begin in the coming months with substantial completion expected in 2030. The contract value was added to Tutor Perini’s backlog in Q3 2024.
OSHA Cites Massachusetts Contractor After Fatal Trench Collapse
A federal workplace safety investigation has determined that the fatal injury of a worker in Hanson, Mass., in February 2024 could have been prevented.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Aleckssandro Tomaz Pereira, the operator of three waterproofing contracting companies, failed to implement necessary safety measures in a trench where the incident occurred.
The worker was fatally injured when part of a foundation collapsed and fell into a 5-to-6-foot-deep trench beneath a Hanson residence. The companies involved in the project were Boston Concrete Corp LLC, VMT Contractor LLC, and Boston Concrete and Remodeling LLC, all operated by Pereira.
OSHA investigators revealed that the employer instructed the worker to enter the unprotected trench to prepare a foundation wall for waterproofing and dig out space to install concrete footings. The trench lacked proper safety protections against collapse, and other hazards such as water accumulation and improper exit routes were also present.
In addition to the lack of trench protection, OSHA found several other safety violations, including:
- Allowing employees to dig beneath unsupported foundation walls.
- Failing to train employees on recognizing cave-in and structural collapse hazards.
- Failing to provide training on the safe operation of an excavator.
- Not providing a safe exit from the trench.
- Allowing water to accumulate in the trench.
As a result, OSHA cited Pereira for two willful and six serious violations and proposed $283,115 in penalties.
Charges Filed Against Contractors for Failing to Remove Lead Pipes in Newark, N.J.
Two officials from a construction company contracted to remove lead pipes in Newark have been charged with fraud, accused of deceiving the city by leaving the hazardous pipes in place while falsely claiming to have replaced them, according to the New Jersey Monitor.
Federal prosecutors announced on Oct. 3 that Michael Sawyer, CEO of JAS Group Enterprise, and Latronia "Tee" Sanders, a foreperson on the project, are facing conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges.
According to the New Jersey Monitor, the pair allegedly received $10.2 million in government funds as part of the city's large-scale lead pipe replacement initiative, launched in response to Newark’s lead contamination crisis. Prosecutors allege that Sawyer and Sanders deliberately left lead pipes underground and submitted false reports and photographs to the city to cover up the deception.
Both Sawyer and Sanders were arrested and charged.
Newark’s lead pipe replacement project began in 2019 following a contamination crisis that left the city’s water supply with elevated levels of lead. By 2021, the city believed most pipes had been replaced, but earlier this year, officials discovered that some lead pipes were still in place.
Mayor Ras Baraka condemned the alleged fraud, calling it "intentional deception", according to the New Jersey Monitor. However, he reassured residents that water remains safe to drink, thanks to protective agents that prevent lead from leaching into the supply. The city has since identified and replaced lead pipes at about 28 locations, with further inspections ongoing to determine the full extent of the issue.
Energy Giants Propose New Transmission Lines Across PJM States
Dominion Energy Virginia, American Electric Power and FirstEnergy Corp. have entered into an innovative joint planning agreement to propose several new regional electric transmission projects across multiple states within the PJM footprint.
The innovative collaboration comes at a time when efficient and cost-effective regional transmission development is essential and encouraged by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the independent federal agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity.
The PJM region, managed by PJM Interconnection, oversees the electricity grid and wholesale power markets across 13 states, including Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C., serving more than 65 million people.
Power demand in the PJM region is growing at an unprecedented pace due to rapid expansion of energy-intensive industries such as data centers, the electrification of transportation and heating, and increased manufacturing onshoring. At the same time, the region's power generation mix is changing as legacy generation is retired and more renewables are added to the grid.
"This dynamic environment requires more regional collaboration to develop large-scale 'backbone' transmission infrastructure that spans across the areas served by our three companies," Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia, said. "By leveraging the expertise and resources of three industry leaders whose transmission zones border one another, we're better able to develop superior and more cost-effective solutions required to effectively resolve reliability issues across the PJM region. These projects are more comprehensive and will be more effective than what each of our companies would be able to develop individually."
The companies jointly proposed the projects through PJM's Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) Open Window process in September. PJM is the regional transmission organization that coordinates the transportation of wholesale electricity across the 13-state region that includes Virginia. The proposed projects include several new 765-kV, 500-kV and 345-kV transmission lines in Virginia, Ohio and West Virginia.
The projects remain in the early stages of development. If selected by PJM, the companies would then undertake an extensive, multi-year process to select routes, perform environmental studies, engage with communities, obtain state and local permitting and build the projects.
In addition to the joint proposals, each of the three companies have also submitted individual proposals for other transmission projects consistent with how each company has participated in past PJM open windows.
Norfolk's HRBT Expansion Gears Up for 2nd Tunnel Excavation
In Norfolk, Virginia, crews are preparing to launch the tunnel boring machine (TBM) known as Mary for the second phase of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) expansion, according to WAVY Morning News.
This nearly $4 billion project aims to widen Interstate 64 and alleviate traffic congestion between the Southside and the Peninsula.
Mary, which completed the first of two new tunnels in June, is set to begin work on the second tunnel this fall. Crews have been rotating her cutterhead and repositioning equipment to ensure she's ready for this next excavation.
The HRBT expansion, which will introduce Virginia’s first bored tunnels, is slightly behind schedule, with a projected completion by February 2027. However, there is optimism that the project may wrap up ahead of time, possibly by September 2026.
Key updates include the rotation of Mary’s 46-foot cutterhead, a complex maneuver, and continued efforts to keep the project moving toward an early finish.
Queens, NY, Completes $106 Million Phase 2 Sewer Upgrade
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) have completed a $106 million infrastructure project in Maspeth, Queens, marking the second phase of a three-part initiative to establish a new drainage network in central Queens.
This project upgraded over a mile of water mains and replaced smaller local combined and sanitary sewers.
To minimize construction impacts on local businesses, residents, and traffic, DDC successfully employed micro-tunneling technology throughout large parts of the project. This innovative approach contrasts with a previous $19.5 million project in 69th Street and Calamus Avenue, which created excessive noise and disruptions and had to be halted early.
The third phase is currently being designed by DDC, with construction expected to begin in mid-2026 and a budget of approximately $80 million. This phase will extend the new drainage system south to Juniper Boulevard South.
Overall, the project installed about 3,625 feet of new 96-inch diameter combined sewer, 900 feet of new box sewers up to 12 feet by 8 feet, and 300 feet of 84-inch HOBAS sewers. Additionally, approximately 1,300 feet of combined sewer were replaced, and 5,500 feet of water mains—some nearly 90 years old – were replaced with more durable ductile iron pipes.
Microtunneling proved particularly effective at the Queens Boulevard location, reducing construction time from several months to just one week, avoiding major disruptions. Local catch basins and fire hydrants were upgraded, and nearly 1.5 miles of local curbs and sidewalks were replaced. The project also added 47 ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, 18 new trees, and a bike lane in the area.
Comments