Thursday, December 23, 2010

Oh Yea…., No Surprise: Another Water Main Break, This Time in Gloucester, Mass.

December 23rd, 2010


Oh yea, I almost forgot to blog this latest one that I heard. Not like it’s any surprise, but, there was another somewhat major water main break. This time the [un-] lucky town was Gloucester, Massachusetts. According to the reports of New England Cable News (NECN) of the A.M of December 21st, 2010 (as I recall), a water main broke in Gloucester causing the need for an order to be issued to boil drinking water and such mandated the closing of a public school – as the school then had no water to make lunches for the students, etc.

One has to wonder if the town had been in the process of replacing any of its, no doubt, antiquated water main system or if the water folks of that town merely wait for colossal failures before replacing any components of its water systems – in keeping with the apparent line of thought of most of the other water companies in our nation.

No school, no water, and surely no hot showers on the first day of winter. Is this what our taxes now pay for in this nation: unreliable and crumbling infrastructure systems? Apparently so, huh?


Adam Trotter P.E. / AVT

Monday, December 20, 2010

“Good Job” to WNYW Fox 5 Investigates: Nassau County, NY, Water Companies

December 20th, 2010

Two nights ago (Saturday), New York’s Fox Television Channel 5 investigated the status of New York’s Nassau County (Long Island) water companies. The investigation revealed well in excess of twenty water companies for this single New York county – a county that has one of the highest costs of living in the United States. As we all know, the public water companies are typically small government-sanctioned monopolies. And, as confirmed by a public watchdog group during the investigation, all these water companies are providing water to the county residents from the same water source. So, the investigation asked, why does Nassau county need more than twenty water companies for a single county especially when the water is all coming from the same source? Furthermore, the investigation displayed these water companies as being typically bastions of nepotism and apparently often an example of the wasting of government funds as well. For example, each of these water companies have a superintendent/director that makes $130,000 to $200,000 (+/-) per year plus tens of thousands in per diem expenses for attending meetings of the water company (per diem policies such as in keeping with the mode of corrupt, ousted, investigated, and recently arrested city officials from Bell, California).

As I have longed asked in this blog: what is with the dysfunctional manner of operations of the water systems in our nation, this Fox 5 Investigates has displayed the other side of the coin which clearly illuminates at least a potential reason why our public utilities are so screwed-up in our nation – at least assuming Nassau county is any example of what is happening in the rest of the nation.

“Thumbs up” and “good job” to WNYW’s Fox 5 Investigates for such a socially-relevant expose. The nation clearly needs more of these types of investigations for the current times in which we are trying to reign in our massive, expensive, and out of control government entities which seem to care little for the financial well-being of the taxpayer. Again, kudos to WNYW’s Fox 5 Investigates!


Adam Trotter, P.E. / AVT

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

More Water Main Breaks: Chelsea, Mass. and Kansas City, Mo.

December 15th, 2010

According to CBS Evening News of yesterday there was a massive water main break in Kansas City, Missouri, which left several residences inaccessible. And, according to WBZ Boston, today there was a massive water main break today in Chelsea, Mass. Both breaks were likely results of the freezing cold weather. The break in Chelsea was determined to be the failure of a one-hundred year old water main pipe.

So, as I have repeatedly asked, when are our governments going to whole-heartedly address the aging and failing infrastructure of our nation?

Adam V. Trotter P.E. / AVT

Friday, December 10, 2010

Politicians Bumble While the Nation’s Infrastructure Crumbles. Water Main Break Boston MA. Thoroughfare Bridge Closed Portsmouth NH/Kittery ME.

December 9th, 2010


While the politicians have been debating on how much of the taxpayers' dollars to give away, the nation’s infrastructure continues to crumble and decay.



In Boston's South End, a forty year old water main broke and left many with no water and no power in the abnormally bitter cold of this December morning. Temperatures were less than twenty degrees Fahrenheit.


http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12002958473214/water-main-break-causes-sinkhole-in-boston-south-end/


http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/south_end/2010/12/water_restored_in_south_end_af.html




While in nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the ninety year old Memorial Bridge which carries U.S. Highway Route 1 across the Piscataqua River to Kittery, Maine has been declared unsafe for vehicular traffic. Though the bridge was scheduled to be demolished and replaced sometime over the next three years, due to recently discovered excessive decay and the cost of repairing the doomed bridge as it stands, the span has been closed to vehicular traffic – much to the chagrin of nearby merchants. Though, NH DoT appears to be fairly competent and was able to catch this decay prior to any catastrophic consequences - so 'good job' to that agency.


http://www.wabi.tv/news/16290/kittery-portsmouth-nh-bridge-closed






So, again I ask, do the government-endorsed public utilities and other agencies that maintain our infrastructure still honestly believe it is in the nation’s best interest to wait until our infrastructure collapses before they will allocate the money to bring our infrastructure up to date? I bet those in San Bruno, California would have preferred their politicians to show any amount of concern regarding their infrastructure systems and had mandated the replacement of antiquated system components prior to the catastrophic natural gas system explosion that killed many innocent civilians in their town.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/09/large-explosion-reported-california-hillside/


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120800158.html



Adam Trotter, P.E. / AVT

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Earthquake Off Long Island, New York. Build to Earthquake Building Code Specifications Everywhere in U.S.!!

December 1st, 2010


Yesterday's earthquake off the coast of Long Island, New York has prompted me to repost my suggestion that all new construction buildings in the United States should be built to meet / in accordance with earthquake building codes.


My previous blog on this subject:

http://engineeringandcommerce.blogspot.com/2010/01/build-to-earthquake-building-codes-in.html



See also:
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/long_island/earthquake-off-eastern-long-island-20101130-KC

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/earthquake-off-long-island-i-felt-it-did-you/


Adam Trotter, P.E. / AVT