October 2012, Vol. 67 No. 10
Features
SSO Abatement Program In Tonawanda, NY
Anthony F. Caruana, supervisor, Town of Tonawanda, NY, is very proud of his community. “Our Town slogan, ‘A Great Place to Live, Work and Play’ is the guiding principle of our administration. Tonawanda is home to over 74,000 residents who take pride in our community, boast of the successes and achievements of our children, and believe we must be caretakers of our elders and stewards of our resources and environment,” he explained.
For Tonawanda, being stewards of the environment extends to the preservations of natural resources such as the nearby Ellicott Creek, which discharges into the Niagara River that flows north from Lake Erie draining into Lake Ontario. The river includes a prominent tourist destination, Niagara Falls. The falls are actually a group of falls which include the Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and the smaller Bridal Veil Falls. The combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet.
Although in a picturesque area, the Tonawanda has been challenged recently to address their sanitary sewer overflows (SSO’s) which could have significant effect on residents and the environment. To address the aging infrastructure problem, the town is beginning a complex and cost intensive program which will abate numerous SSO’s, which can occur during wet weather events. In 2006, a major collapse occurred on the Parker-Fries Interceptor that required a costly repair and could have resulted in significant basement backups. This major interceptor became the first project in the town’s complex and cost intensive program to address the poor overall condition of the sewers.
Tonawanda selected CRA Infrastructure and Engineering Inc., (CRA), Buffalo, NY, to develop a set of improvements for the Parker-Fries Interceptor Project. The comprehensive plan included considerations of the existing interceptor alignment, utility conflicts, Parker Pump Station operation, subsurface geotechnical conditions and impacts to the residents.
Multiple phases
“Due to the size, complexity and cost of the project, the Parker-Fries Interceptor Project was split into four phases with implementation over approximately seven years,” stated Kenneth Maving, director of Water Resources for the Town of Tonawanda. The town and CRA evaluated the possible large diameter piping options and decided to include only Hobas pipe in the project specifications. Their reasoning was that they needed a pipe with a proven track record that would provide a long service life, including the leak-free capability of the product and its resistance to sulfuric acid. Hobas pipe has a 100-year service life in a sanitary sewer environment.
Phase One of the Parker-Fries Interceptor Project was bid in February 2010 and awarded in June of 2010. Kandey Company, Inc. of West Seneca, NY, was awarded the $26.4 million project and construction began in the summer of 2010. The job was scheduled to last two years and was completed in July of 2012.
Kandey is a site and utility contractor specializing in civil engineering construction and has been providing services throughout the Buffalo and Western New York areas since 1984. Although they are experienced with utility installation, this was their first experience utilizing Hobas pipe. The project included over 4,000 feet of 84, 72 and 48-inch diameter sewer pipe installed by tunneling and 5,700 feet of 48-inch, 36-inch and 30-inch diameter installed by open-cut. A 46-psi pipe stiffness product was supplied for the direct bury portion of the project which ranged in depth from 10 to 30 feet. Hobas supplied flush joint jacking pipe in a variety of axial capacities for the portions of the project that were installed by direct jacking.
The project was challenging, with project coordination including several public meetings to address traffic and other citizen concerns. In the fifth and last public meeting concerning the project, Tonawanda’s Town Supervisor, Anthony F. Caruana, stated, “The good news is that we’re ahead of schedule and we’re also under budget.”
Hobas pipe is manufactured in sizes from 18 inches to 126 inches in pressure and non-pressure classes.
FOR MORE INFO:
Hobas Pipe USA, (800) 856-7473, (281) 821-2200, www.hobaspipe.com
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