Rapid growth. Pressure problems. Aging pipes. Capacity issues.
There are any number of reasons why a rural water system would need to expand or upgrade facilities. But where to begin? Do you know which problems need to be fixed first, how much it will cost, and where the money will come from to do the job? This week’s eBulletin looks at a small water system’s expansion experience and talks with engineers about what a system needs and what it can expect during an expansion or upgrade project.
Getting started
Our story starts in a town of about 5,000. It’s a rural community, not terribly far from bigger cities. The town experienced rapid growth, nearly doubling its population in a little over a decade. But the city officials took great pride in being able to serve their residents with as few outside services as possible.
So when the phone calls kept increasing about water pressure problems and demands for new service to areas outside of town, water board officials agreed that an expansion was a must.
That decision raised a slew of questions. How big of an expansion was needed? Which areas of town needed it the most? What type of equipment would be needed? Most importantly, how much would it cost?
The city took the first major step in their expansion. They hired an engineer to oversee the project.
Engineering services are generally divided into three parts: Preliminary Engineering Report, Final Plans and Specifications, and Construction Inspection. Generally these parts or phases are defined as:
- Preliminary Engineering – The first step where an engineer assesses your system and examines alternative approaches for solving your problem (e.g. low water pressure) from a design and cost standpoint, and recommends the best, affordable approach to solving your problem.
- Final Plans and Specifications – After financing is arranged, you will need an engineer to develop your final plan and specifications which will be used to obtain approval from regulatory agencies and are used by construction firms to bid on the construction of the improvements.
- Construction Inspection – The final “engineering” phase involves having your engineer inspect the work of the contractor to ensure compliance with your final plans and specifications and to approve any required changes.
In our small town, the engineer began by doing a study of the water system to determine the greatest needs.
Some engineers do the initial study only, while others also oversee the entire project. It depends on the needs of the city, engineer Brad Wingfield of McClelland Consulting Engineers, the engineers for our town’s project, said recently. Technology has helped with such projects in recent years, Wingfield said. When our firm is hired to look at a water system for expansion purposes, it begins by conducting a hydraulic analysis. The analysis uses computer software, city maps and surveys to compile a three-dimensional model of a town’s water system. It studies the pressures and flows throughout the system and marks areas of concern, such as when water pressure falls below required levels.
The analysis should also check the condition of the pipes, Wingfield said. For example, the roughness value of the pipes can help determine head loss. Too much head loss can cause drops in the water pressure. Pipes with a high roughness value – such as those with corrosion or contaminates built up inside – may need to be replaced as part of the expansion.
The time it takes to do such an analysis varies from town to town depending on its size and its water system’s complexity. Another major factor is how much help the engineer can get from the city.
Wingfield offers some advice in this area: Keep system maps up to date, as well as customer information. Inaccurate maps slow an analysis, because engineers have to determine corrections in order to make the most accurate model possible and recommend the best course of action.
“The more information they give us, the quicker we can do it,” he said.
Updated materials should not only cover the pipe systems but the pumps and source water as well. These tips and advice can help make the preliminary work on your expansion project a little less stressful.
The American Water Works Association has a long list of checklists and guides to help water systems assess themselves and keep their system records up to date. Links include a Pipe Repair Checklist, Take Volumes and Size Calculator and water calculators.
Additional Resources
American Water Works Association Small System resources
http://www.awwa.org/Science/sun/ [1]
Finding the right engineer
You meet a stranger on the street and say simply, “Go buy me a car.” The stranger agrees, and goes and picks one out. No matter how carefully the stranger chooses, chances are slim that you’ll get what you wanted. Why? Because you simply didn’t provide enough information to get what you wanted!
The same thing can happen if you hire an engineer and say, “We have a problem, fix it.” It’s your responsibility as a Board Member to provide your engineer with the information and direction needed to implement an appropriate, efficient, and affordable solution. You must clearly define your problem or need, have some ideas about how to solve the problem, and have an understanding what you can afford.
Then, you have the responsibility of thoughtfully selecting your engineer. You wouldn’t let just any doctor operate on you, and you shouldn’t let just any engineer work on your drinking water supply system or your wastewater system.
To help with the process of selecting an engineer, we have compiled information from several sources into the tool, “Selecting an Engineer in 8 Steps.” Click on the link below to access this tool. You also can submit an “Ask the Expert” technical assistance question through this website and you will be contacted by one of our technical assistance professional in your area.
Finding the money
Once the analysis was complete for our small town, it was presented to the City Council, which doubled as the town’s water board. The next step was determining which of the prioritized projects could be funded and how.
Funding is often the biggest obstacle to expansion, especially for small towns that may not have a huge tax base. There has to be enough money for the engineer or project manager, the contractor, permits, security, materials, post-construction inspections and cleanup. There also needs to be a cushion for overrun, which can be caused by everything from construction delays and thefts to the price of materials increasing and unforeseen problems at the site.
Valerie Rogers of Rogers Engineering and Construction Inc. in Chelsea, Okla., said they typically hold back 10% of the funding for a project until the project is half done, and then the amount held back is reduced to 5% of the total cost. That way, the company has money available for any unexpected cost overruns. She said it’s also standard for performance, maintenance and other aspects to be bonded, so if contractors don’t live up to expectations or walk off the job, the bond company covers the cost and task of finding a replacement. The project manager usually handles finding the bonds.
A major key to keeping costs in check is finding the right project engineer. It’s important to find companies that have worked on similar projects, have good reputations and have experience in dealing with bond companies, various contractors and laboratories for testing prior to tying in the expanded system.
Of course, none of this can get started without the proper funding. There are several options available, from large bond issues to smaller grants or loans to private funding. Our small town decided on a bond issue. It was a strong option for a town growing so rapidly, because the tax base would be there to help pay down the debt. But such an option may not be ideal for every small town.
There are several resources available to aid small communities with funding, including loan programs and consulting from the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc. (RCAP) has a revolving loan fund capitalized with funds from USDA and organizational resources. RCAP can provide small loans for pre-development expenses or construction, or it can help water systems apply for grants, loans or bond issues. For more help, please submit a “Financial Assistance” question through this website.
Additional Resources
RCAP, Inc. Revolving Loan Fund
http://www.rcap.org [2]
Construction lockdown
Security is a big issue during construction. Vandalism and theft can slow construction and lead to more costs. Pranksters can contaminate tanks or pipes with paint or other materials, which requires clean-up. That means even more time and costs, plus additional tests to ensure the contaminants don’t affect the water once it’s pumped inside.
State and federal regulations require security on any construction site, said Rogers. For water tower projects, she said, the contractor must make sure the site meets the standards set forth by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, as well as federal standards from the Department of Homeland Security. For most, this means the site must be fenced in, and any gates must be locked outside of construction hours.
“Most places have an alarm system that calls the police or whomever,” Rogers said. The contractor usually takes care of security.
On the off chance someone does make it onto the lot, the chances they’ll contaminate the system are slim, she said. Once a project is complete, it goes through two to three days of testing and cleaning before it’s even tied to the system and put online. Often, workers from the lab where the tests will be conducted will visit the site to draw samples, to make sure they’re done correctly.
Rogers said it’s also up to the on-site inspector to keep an eye out for anything unusual. If her inspector leaves a site, the contractor can keep laying pipe but can’t cover it with dirt until the inspector has a chance to look it over upon their return. Such practices ensure each pipe, fitting and junction is checked out so flaws can be detected before they’re buried, and before they lead to costly repairs later.
Check references for your engineer, project manager, and contractors to determine their “track record” with security and safety.
Additional Resources
EPA’s Water Infrastructure Protection links
http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/wip.htm [3]
EPA’s Security Product Guides
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/guide/ [4]
The end is not near
The expansion may be under way for our small town, but it will be a while before the customers may notice a difference. Expansion projects often take months to complete. The town’s project is still in the funding stages, so it’s not expected to be completed until sometime next year.
Once the project is finished, it’s common practice for the engineer, contractor and water board member or members to walk through the expansion, checking for last-minute details that need to be addressed. Cleanup must be completed as well, said Rogers. She said it was standard practice to offer a year’s worth of maintenance on the system, a warranty to protect the city from repair costs in case any of the new material or construction is faulty. City officials should check on the warranty when hiring the engineering firm.
An expansion project is one of the biggest things a water board has to deal with, and there are many aspects to consider when undertaking such a massive project. The result of all this hard work in our town, will be delivering safe drinking water to more customers with better efficiency – and fewer called-in complaints.