Sewer Construction

How to Select the Right Trench Protection System

How a utility contractor chooses to excavate on a job site can make all the difference in the project outcome. When you consider that 30 to 40 percent of all excavations lack the appropriate protective solutions, it should come as no surprise that projects are often over budget and overdue. When you add the very real risk of injury or death, a lack of proper protection makes no sense at all.

Sewer Construction Grants Targeted for Big but Speculative Increase

There seems to be a good chance that Congress will pass a reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), given strong bi-partisan support for the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019 (H.R. 1497).

EPA Announces $2.6 Billion in Availability for Water Improvement Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of $2.6 billion in new funds to assist states, tribes and territories with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across the country.

Montana Governor OKs $400 Million in Infrastructure Spending

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock signed a series of bills that allow for spending nearly $400 million on buildings, bridges and water systems across the state — an effort aimed at creating jobs, boosting the state's economy and clearing up a backlog of needed work.

Anchorage Utility Will Drain City Lake to Repair Sewer Pipe

An Anchorage utility is draining a city lake to repair a sewer line.

Indiana Sewer Project Unearths Trove of Mastodon Bones

Workers installing sewer lines across a southern Indiana farm unearthed the fossilized bones of a mastodon that likely stood about 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall.

Fort Wayne Announces $100 Million in Utility Infrastructure Investments

City officials in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Monday announced plans to invest $100 million in city neighborhoods for stormwater protection, sanitary sewer improvements, and water pipe upgrades.

National Safe Digging Month Highlights Importance of Calling 811

(UC) - As the calendar turns to April and spring temperatures arrive, home improvement and construction work steadily increases. Since these projects often require digging and excavation, it is appropriate that April is designated as National Safe Digging Month. This nationwide public safety initiat..

EPA Announces New WIFIA Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the availability of funding to provide an estimated $6 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in 2019.

Miami-Dade Almost Out of Money for Federally Mandated Sewage System Upgrades

Miami-Dade County, Fla., is on the brink of running out of money to pay for federally mandated upgrades to its outdated sewage system. This revelation comes just days after more than 700,000 gallons of sewage dumped into Biscayne Bay from the last remaining pump station yet to be scheduled for repairs.

First Look: Utilizing Inertial Navigation Technology for 3D Mapping, Locating, Management

Over the last two decades, significant advances have been made in the quality and application of inertial navigation technology targeted at mapping underground pipe and duct assets. This article provides information on pipeline technologies that are available to map a minimum internal diameter (ID) of 1.6-inch to larger sizes. The pipeline mapping system offers a range of solutions that can map any pipe, regardless of its material, depth or type of utility.

Breaking Records in a Conservation Park

Watercare Services of New Zealand engaged McConnell Dowell and McMillen Jacobs to increase the outfall capacity for its Army Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project involved installing a new wastewater outfall, upgrading the existing pump station and building a new ultraviolet disinfection facility.

Hard Work, Vision Bring Success to Great Lakes Fusion

As the owner of Great Lakes Fusion, Marks’ company specializes in all facets of landfill construction: excavation, drilling and HDPE pipe fusion services for pipe up to 65-inches and installation of methane and leachate collection systems. He’s also diversified by starting related companies.

Ansonia Sewer Authority to Pay Cost of Sewer Collapse; Chairman Walks Out

A heated dispute over who will pay for the massive sewer pipe collapse in Ansonia, Conn., ended with the apparent resignation of city's Water Pollution Control Authority chairman after his commissioners authorized paying the bill.

22nd Annual Municipal Sewer/Water Infrastructure Survey

Underground Construction's exclusive annual survey revealed stronger budgets for many cities and growing expectations for a prolonged, stronger economy – but municipal personnel remain cautious.

Feds Fund Houston-Area Stormwater Tunnel Feasibility Study

The Harris County Flood Control District, whose systems were overwhelmed by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is set to begin a $400,000 study into the feasibility of constructing large-diameter, deep underground stormwater conveyance tunnels.

2018 Drilling Fluids Guide

BENTONITE Baroid Industrial Drilling Products, (281) 871-4613, baroididp.com Aquagel: Premium grade Wyoming sodium bentonite used as viscosifier and filtrate reducer in freshwater drilling fluids. Meets the requirements of API Specification 13A, Section 9. NSF/ANSI Standard 60 certified. Bore-Gel..

Vermeer Introduces MUD Hub Slurry Solidification System

The new Vermeer MUD Hub slurry solidification system helps control the costs, time and complexity of drilling fluid management. Using the Vermeer ST2000 slat tank and the Surface to Surface (STS) FL-243 solidification mixer, MUD Hub helps create stackable material for convenient transfer and disposa..

HDD: DRILLING FLUIDS

Wyo-Ben wyoben.com Wyo-Ben Inc. has responded to increasing regulatory pressure and customer inquiries on the disposal of spent drilling fluids by introducing SOLIDIBOND 1.1 and SOLIDIBOND 2.2.  Slurries solidified with SOLIDIBOND pass the paint filter test, allowing for less-expensive disposal as..

CETCO

cetco.com CETCO introduced HERCULA-EZ, a cutting-edge additive used in conjunction with its bentonite-based drilling muds for horizontal directional drilling (HDD). With proper formulation, the system will produce a unique drilling fluid with excellent shear-thinning characteristics. At low shear ..

Milwaukee Alderman: Armed Sewer Subcontractors Won't be Tolerated

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee alderman says a sewer subcontracting company doing business with the city has been asked to explain why three of its workers were apparently armed with handguns while working on the north side. A photo of the three American Sewer Services employees got some traction on ..

M-I SWACO Drilplex HDD Inorganic Viscosifier

M-I SWACO, a Schlumberger company, offers Drilplex HDD inorganic viscosifier, specially engineered for water-based bentonite drilling fluids to accommodate both maxi and mini HDD rigs. Drilplex HDD allows the formulation of fluids with shear-thinning properties, resulting in a drilling fluid with bo..

CETCO VELOXITY-PRO Drilling Fluid Improves Cuttings Removal

CETCO’s newest drilling fluid has been created to improve cuttings removal, as well as circulation. This high-quality bentonite drilling fluid increases viscosity and lowers fluid loss. VELOXITY-PRO mixes quickly and easily in freshwater and will improve borehole stability. This NSF/ANSI Standard 60..

TRU-BORE Designed For Difficult Drilling Operations

TRU-BORE® is a highly concentrated bentonite based drilling fluid designed for difficult drilling operations in both vertical and horizontal borings. It is extremely effective high performance viscosifier for horizontal drilling applications to maintain hole integrity during pullback. It is non-toxi..

Most Evacuated Due to Detroit-Area Sinkhole Allowed Home

FRASER, Mich. (AP) — Most residents evacuated following last month’s collapse of a massive sewage line that caused a football field-sized sinkhole in suburban Detroit have been allowed home. Twenty-two houses were affected by the sinkhole in Fraser, including three that were condemned. Officials ha..

BJM Pumps Newest Submersible Pumps Designed for Superior Solids Handling

BJM Pumps newest submersible pumps – the XP-SKX Series – designed and engineered for superior corrosion resistance, solids handling and reliability. The series is FM approved in the U.S. and Canada, and the lineup is now offered with an explosion-proof monitor for installation in Class I, Division 1..

Filter Out Solids From Drilling Fluids With The Vermeer R9x12T Reclaimer

The Vermeer R9x12T Reclaimer utilizes a series of shakers, cones and screens to filter out solids from drilling fluids, and it can hold up to 8,560 gallons (32,403.1 L). Powered by a 3 phase 250 kW (313 kVA) generator, the R9x12T has four shakers that can clean 600 gpm (2271 L/min). Depending on the..

MCT 450 “Mud Man” Drill Fluid Mixing and Cleaning System from Mud Technology

The MCT 450 “Mud Man” Drill Fluid Mixing and Cleaning System from Mud Technology has cutting edge technology. The 2400 gallon, two-section tank includes 450 plus gpm of cleaning capacity. It features high “G” force “AWD” linear shaker, five-inch cone desilter bank, high shear/low pressure mixing hop..

Drilling Fluid BORZAN D from Wyo-Ben Particularly Effective in Vapor Extraction

As a stand-alone drilling fluid BORZAN D is a highly concentrated xanthan gum allowing for lower addition rates than most bio-polymers. BORZAN D fluids are particularly effective in vapor extraction and other environmental wells where it can be flushed out of the bore with minimum residual wall-cake..

Mud Recycling Becoming Common For Mid-Sized HDD Rigs

Recycling and reusing drilling fluids is becoming increasingly common on jobs with mid-size horizontal directional drill (HDD) projects where previously that practice was uncommon. Recycling isn’t for every job – it would not be practical on jobs with small machines making short bores – but contrac..