Mar 6, 2017 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

One of the sewer line rehab projects recently awarded to Crawford Grading and Pipeline, Inc. will entail replacing old clay pipe such as that pictured above.

Following the February PCWASA Board Meeting, three out of the four proposed construction projects budgeted for FY 2017 were underway.

In all, the Authority is investing more than $576,000 to repair or replace failing portions of the PCWASA Collection and Conveyance System.

Upon the recommendations of PCWASA staff and their consultants from Integrated Science and Engineering (ISE), the Authority Board awarded contracts to low bidders on three major sewer line or force main rehabilitation projects.

The first project, totaling more than $218,000, was awarded to Crawford Grading and Pipeline, Inc. This work entails replacing the aging 8-inch clay pipe and moving that sewer line that runs under the railroad near Paschall and Huddlestson Roads.

The Authority awarded a second contract for a little more than $358,000 to RDJE, Inc. to repair and replace failing portions of the two force mains servicing PCWASA Pump Stations #2 and #3, while installing gravity sewer lines as well. The work will entail the repair of 12’’, 18”, 24”, and 30-inch pipe.

Collectively, these projects totaling more than $576,000 are approximately $68,000 under budget.

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
Phone: 770-757-1681
Email: jcwood@uga.edu or chris@jwapr.com

Aug 15, 2016 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Data collected by RedZone Robotics identified PCWASA manholes in need of repair. The utility then invested approximately $339,000 to rehabilitate 214 manholes within the sewer system.

The Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) continually invests in upgrades to its system, in order to improve the reliability and efficiency of its sewer collection and treatment services for more than 10,500 customers.

The latest evidence of system upgrades comes in the completion of rehabilitation on 211 manholes, which were previously in poor or failing condition. The utility’s manhole rehabilitation project is ongoing, but with this first phase completed, the Authority has addressed some of the most vulnerable parts of its sewer system.

The manholes most in need of repair were identified following a nearly two-year study conducted by RedZone Robotics to assess the condition and functionality of the entire PCWASA sewer system. The results of the RedZone YES (Your Entire System) program allowed the Authority to categorize the sewer system’s manholes according to four conditions – rating them as either good, adequate, poor, or critical.

To categorize those manholes in most need of repair, the PCWASA staff and consulting engineers from CH2M Hill poured through the extensive, detailed data collected by RedZone Robotics. The PCWASA staff brought the additional engineering expertise in for data analysis in order to expedite the first and most critical phase of the manhole rehabilitation project.

In October of last year, following the recommendation of the utility’s staff and project engineers from Integrated Science & Engineering (ISE), the PCWASA Board of Directors awarded the contract for this first phase of the manhole rehabilitation to Enviro Trenchless, LCC. This contractor provided the Authority with the low bid of $339,000, among the five qualifying bids.

Work on the manhole repairs began last November and was completed this summer. Some of the specifics of the contract included surface preparation, manhole leak repair, rebuilding manhole pipe seal, invert, bench and wall when needed, repair of the manhole chimney, including grade adjustment, and providing cement liners and coating. Approximately 5 percent of the manholes within this first phase of rehab needed to be replaced completely.

To assure that sewer services went uninterrupted during the rehabilitation process, the Authority contractors also provided bypass pumping of sanitary sewers in the areas of the system where manholes were under repair.

Authority officials note that the project was completed without incident and within budget, and the results should begin to pay immediate dividends for customers in the form of more reliable performance of the sewer system.

“This is an example of a project that’s out of sight and out of mind for most customers, but no less important to the efficient operation of our system,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “I’m thankful for the foresight of our board to allocate the funding to complete this work, and for the dedication of our staff to oversee a long and laborious process – from the collection and analysis of data to identify the condition of our entire system, to the safe and successful completion of this first phase of manhole rehabilitation.”

By investing in the rehabilitation of these manholes that were in the poorest condition, the Authority will improve its wastewater collection and treatment efficiency through the reduction of inflow and infiltration of storm water into the sewer system.

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu OR chris@jwapr.com (email)

Jun 8, 2015 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Crews from RDJE, Inc. install a new sewer line to serve customers in the Pebblestump neighborhood.

The Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) recently completed rehabilitation of service lines, coupled with a small sewer line extension, within the Westpark area of its system.

Contractors from RDJE, Inc. were authorized by the Authority to rehabilitate nearly 3,000 linear feet of existing sewer lines via the pipe bursting methodology, while installing approximately 700 linear feet of new pipes, for customers within the Pebblestump neighborhood. The contract awarded by the PCWASA Board of Directors to RDJE, Inc. was the result of the contractor’s low bid of just more than $330,000.

This infrastructure had been labeled as a high priority hot spot in need of repairs, as a result of data gathered by RedZone Robotics over a two-year period of conditional assessment of the state of all small-diameter pipes and manholes within the PCWASA system.

“We’ve received nearly a dozen calls from residents in this area over the course of the project, and they all have been positive,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “They seem to be pleased with the system upgrades and enhanced service they are receiving.”

In addition to facilitating the project to rehab and extend these sewer lines within Westpark, the RedZone data also located a total of 19,700 linear feet of sewer lines throughout the system in need of root control. As the Authority was completing the rehab at Pebblestump, contractors also were addressing the identified instances of sewer line obstruction by roots, to restore the integrity of all sewer lines previously impacted by root intrusion.

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu OR chris@jwapr.com (email)

May 18, 2015 by Chris Wood, Ph.D.

Capital Improvements are continuous at both PCWASA treatment plants.

While pursuing upgrades and expansion to its collection and conveyance system, the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) hasn’t overlooked necessary repairs or improvements needed at its two wastewater treatment plants.

Earlier this year, the Authority completed approximately $40,000 in repairs to the electrical control wiring at the Rockaway Water Reclamation Facility. Rockaway is a sequence batch reactor (SBR) plant with a permit to discharge all of its treated wastewater (4 million gallons per day capacity) into Line Creek. However, wastewater from Rockaway also is used for irrigation of the recreational fields located near the plant on Highway 74.

In addition, the Authority is pursuing extensive improvements to the south clarifiers at the Larry B. Turner/Line Creek Water Reclamation Facility. Contractors from Willow Construction were awarded the low bid of $304,650 to upgrade these 20-year-old clarifiers and other portions of the plant.

Treated wastewater from the Line Creek/Larry B. Turner Plant is discharged either into Line Creek or Flat Creek, though up to 1.1 million gallons can be used for irrigation at Planterra Ridge Golf Course.

Media Contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu OR chris@jwapr.com (email)

Sep 18, 2013 by Dr. Chris Wood

Contractors from Willow Construction work toward the recent completion of the Meade Field Pump Station project, which included installation of 2,400 linear feet of 8-inch PVC gravity sewer line and more than 4,500 linear feet of 6-inch HDPE force main.

Signs of quality growth, as tenuous as they may be in today’s economy, can come in the most unusual of places. In Peachtree City, the construction of an additional pump station within the sewer system’s service area is a sign that new customers from two residential development projects are coming online.

The Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) recently completed its half-a-million-dollar Meade Field Regional Pump Station 36, which is fully operational following inspection and testing before coming online by Labor Day weekend. The construction project took a little longer than the anticipated 120 days for substantial completion, due to unusually rainy weather; but more importantly, the work was done within budget, says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager.

Since the PCWASA Board of Directors awarded the low bid of $525,851 to Willow Construction during a special called meeting on March 20, the Authority and its contractor(s) had to overcome some unique challenges during the project, says Nathan Brooks, PCWASA Construction Manager. For starters, at the location of the pump station, crews found a high level of ground water while excavating, requiring a pump to withdraw the water from the site for the duration of this phase of construction. In addition, the work had to be coordinated with local athletic associations while the parking lot for the Jim Meade Memorial Athletic Fields was disrupted.

The Meade Field project not only included construction of the regional pump station, but the installation of more than 4,500 linear feet of 6-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) force main and 2,400 linear feet of 8-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gravity sewer, as well as 12 sanitary sewer manholes.

Hogan says the Meade Field Pump Station initially will serve customers of two new residential developments, while enhancing the availability of sewer, which is preferred over septic in the City.

The first new development is a property of Southern Pines Plantation Commercial Group, LLC. “The Gates” is a planned 90 lot single-family residential subdivision, featuring a recreational area, open space, and cart paths. The development also includes two parcels for office/institutional development at the intersection of Highway 74 and Redwine Road.

The second local development to be served by the Meade Field Pump Station is a senior living rental community envisioned by Dominion Senior Living of Peachtree City, LLC. Dominion, in a joint venture with Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, began construction on “Somerby at Peachtree City” in October of last year. This community is located at the intersection of Highway 74 and Rockaway Road and is designed to provide assisted living and memory care to senior citizens of Peachtree City and the surrounding communities within Fayette County.

Hogan says the Meade Field Pump Station project is a case study of a “win-win” for private-public partnerships between developers, such as those backing The Gates and Somerby, and utilities, such as PCWASA. As evidence, he notes the parties are sharing the costs of bringing this critically important sewer infrastructure online, as outlined in the Development Agreement adopted by the Authority, which accompanied the award of the low bid at the PCWASA March called meeting.

“The Authority and its customers will reap the benefits of the revenues from sewer services that will be coming from these two properties for many years to come,” says Hogan. “Not to mention, there could be additional customers coming on board in the future now that sewer is available in this area.”

Officials also have noted that the newest PCWASA pump station will help garner additional revenues for Peachtree City, made possible by the Meade Fields recreational area now being more ideally suited to host athletic tournaments and special events.

Media Contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu (email)
chris@jwapr.com (email)

May 29, 2012 by Dr. Chris Wood

Over the course of the next year or so, Peachtree City residents most likely will be unaware of the modern marvel at work beneath their feet, thanks to a partnership between the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) and RedZone Robotics. RedZone’s advances of science may resemble science fiction, but will no doubt gather valuable facts and data to aid in the future planning of capital projects for the utility’s sewer system.

During the February PCWASA Board Meeting, the Authority entered into a contractual agreement with RedZone Robotics for data acquisition, software, and inspection services. Through its Y.E.S. (Your Entire System) Program, RedZone also will combine the new data on the integrity of the PCWASA sewer system with existing information the Authority already has gathered to date via other inspection methods, creating a centralized system of record for the utility’s abundant sewer system.

The timeline of the data gathering process by RedZone’s Solo Unmanned Inspection Robots is approximately 15 months from the time the work kicked off in mid-April. However, the cost of the project for PCWASA is being spread over seven years, with favorable payment terms provided by RedZone.

The speed in which the data can be gathered by these technologically advanced robots, which are lightweight systems with onboard intelligence and full coverage tracking, is unmatched in the industry. That benefit, coupled with the flexible financing and payment plan for RedZone’s services, make this partnership advantageous to the Authority on both accounts, say Authority officials.

“The data that would have taken us 15 years to gather by conventional televising methods will now take only 15 months,” says Stephen Hogan, PCWASA General Manager. “During the early years of the Authority’s history, a portion of our sewer system was built originally by developers, so we’d like to have a better idea of the condition of these older portions of our infrastructure, before we prioritize scheduled rehabilitation, where needed.”

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, RedZone Robotics provides high efficiency pipeline inspection products and services for utilities and municipalities throughout North America, with robots that look like they could star in a science fiction film, says Hogan. RedZone’s work will allow PCWASA to maintain and enhance one of the most valuable assets of its sewer system – the sewer lines in the ground.

Ken Wolf, Vice President and corporate officer for RedZone Robotics, says PCWASA “has a proactive attitude toward the collection system infrastructure, which should serve as a model for best practice sewer system stewardship.”
Wolf also notes that sewers are critical assets, and at a time when many still choose to neglect them, PCWASA understands that the fundamental need for establishing the lowest cost, longest useful life plan for their abundant sewer system is accurate and complete information.

“They will quickly have access to the information required to use the funds available to manage the collection system in the best possible manner for the citizens of Peachtree City for many years to come,” concludes Wolf.

Media contact:
Chris Wood, Ph.D.
770-757-1681 (phone)
jcwood@uga.edu (email)