March Newsletter – Celebrating the Value of Water

Celebrating the Value of Water

March 22, 2021 is World Water Day, a celebration that raises awareness of the global water crisis. The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water. The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment.

On the surface, water engineering may seem to simply address pipes and pump stations. However, BETA engineers know that the delivery of clean and safe water is a complex process requiring a resilient supporting infrastructure. We are proud to have worked with our clients on a variety of projects that allow them to provide this critical asset.

Union Ave Utility Improvements

Union Avenue in Framingham, MA was primarily situated over 8-12″ thick reinforced concrete slab, a remnant of the 19th century trolleys that used to run along the corridor. This foundation needed to be completely removed to replace the cast iron water mains, rehabilitate the vitrified clay sewer mains, and replace the stormwater system on this heavily traveled roadway.

However, removing the entire concrete slab, and properly handling and disposing of the discovered asbestos cement, were minor challenges compared to the coordination needed to maintain all critical utilities and access to the nearby hospital and other businesses that line Union Ave. As a result, an extensive traffic management plan, that included a 24-hour detour, was established so that emergency response vehicles could still access the hospital during construction. Read more and see the impressive site photos of this massive project by clicking here.

Resolving Operational and Contaminant Issues

The precise balance required to operate a safe and efficient municipal water system sometimes means that fixing one problem can lead to another. This was the case in the Town of Plainville, MA, when a well-intentioned campaign to address longstanding operating deficiencies resulted in a spike in TTHM and HAA5 contaminants. To rectify the problem, the utility first had to determine what was causing it. The BETA team developed a distribution model, analyzed water age and reviewed tank turnover times. Ultimately, solutions were put in place to resolve the contaminant issues. The return on investment was substantial, with a better-maintained and higher-functioning municipal water system.

Interested in learning more about the solutions we identified and implemented? Join us at NEWWA’s Spring Conference on March 31, 2021 to see Bob Mackie present this informative case study!

Welcome Katelyn and Ian!

We are thrilled to welcome Katelyn Harding Burke, EIT to BETA’s water and wastewater engineering group. A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Katelyn has experience on a variety of civil engineering, environmental, stormwater, and wastewater projects. Working in our Norwood, MA office, Katelyn will be responsible for conducting site evaluations including outfall mapping, data collection, GPS surveying, and water quality sampling and analysis. She is a member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists at WPI.

We are excited to announce that Ian Paterson has joined our transportation group. Prior to joining BETA, Ian worked for the University of Massachusetts Transportation Center where he constructed a traffic impact study and researched and prepared a MassDOT memo on the best practices of ferry governance, asset management and route planning. A graduate of University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ian is actively involved in the Institute of Transportation Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.

We are Committed to Future Growth

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