The Premarc Corporation - Success Stories - Thinking Long Term in Genesee County

Thinking Long Term in Genesee County

Genesee County - Big projects often require special tools and strong willed professionals to make them a reality. This is a story about how a local leader was able to secure long-term funding for the construction and maintenance of sanitary and storm sewers in a high growth county in Michigan, and the application of reinforced concrete pipe for maximum return on investment. Once funding was secure, the money was used to contrsuct major trunk relief sewers that will return great savings to the county by adding to its assets' net worthiness in terms of low maintenance and performance for generations.

In the late 1990s Genesee County (southeast Michigan), ran out of sewer capacity in its sanitary sewer interceptors. To relieve this situation, phased improvements were required to the Northeast and West Trunk Relief Sewers to handle sewage overflow. The Northeast Relief Sewer is to relieve flow from the northeast portion of Genesee County including the townships of Flushing, Mt. Morris, Genesee, Davison and the City of Burton. The West Trunk Relief Sewer is to alleviate flows from the Grand Blanc Township-City Interceptor, by diverting sewage into the Swartz Creek Interceptor located to the west. The project will free up capacity and reduce sanitary sewer overflows and backups.

When all construction phases are completed, Genesee County will be able to process an additional 31,600,000 gallons of sewage per day to meet sewage treatment needs for the next 30 years. The relief sewers eliminate 20 major pump stations and their maintenance costs. Since Interstate 69, Interstate 75 and Highway 23 merge in Genesee County, increased sewer capacity will ensure that the county remains a hub of commerce by providing infrastructure capacity, protection of public health and the environment, and provision of services for economic development.

Jeff Wright, the Genesee County Drain Commissioner led the drive to find a means for long-tem funding of the relief sewers and other major sewer projects. State law provides for the election of the Drain Commissioner, responsible for the administration of the Drain Code, 1956, as amended, every four years on a partisan basis. Duties include the construction and maintenance of drains, determining drainage districts, apportioning costs of drains among property owners, and overseeing local units of government that receive bids and award contracts for drain construction. The Drain Commissioner, by action by the County Board of Commissioners, serves as the County Agency that provides sanitary sewer collection and treatment for 32 local municipalities covering six counties. This responsibility covers more than 680 square miles, over 180,000 residents and thousands of businesses and their employees.

Wright was well aware of the need for relief sewers when elected in 2001, since he was born and raised in Genesee County and had worked for previous drain commissioners in various capacities from 1974 through 1997. Wright's predecessor wanted to raise sewer rates to fund relief projects. In a move that took a ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court to prevail, Jeff Wright implemented the County Capital Improvement Fee, (CCIF) which authorized the County Drain Commissioner to charge a CCIF to all new direct and indirect connections for $1,000.00 per connection. This funding tool ensured that property owners of new construction would pay for increased capacity in the County's sewer system, not existing customers. By summer 2006, the CCIF had collected approximately $13 million. This source of funds along with revenue bonds enabled the County to spend $90 million on sewer improvements without raising sewer rates.

Over 300 property easements were needed for the sewer improvements. Historically, Genesee County paid $1 for property easements. With revenue procured by the CCIF, the County was able to compensate property owners at fair market value, preventing the condemning of properties for the easements. Land acquisitions were less than half of one percent of the total project costs.

The Northeast Relief Sewer was designed in four phases that included approximately 32,000 feet of 48-inch to 72-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), 14,000 feet of 48-inch diameter RCP and 2,500 feet of 30-inch to 42-inch diameter RCP. Approximately 8,000 feet of the 48-inch diameter RCP interceptor was constructed using micro-tunneling techniques. These new sewers eliminate three major and several smaller pump stations, while redirecting several existing interceptors into the new system thereby relieving the existing overloaded system of approximately 28 million gallons per day (peak flow).

Consoer, Townsend, Envirodyne Engineers, Inc. (CTE) was the lead engineer on the project. As an AECOM Company, CTE is part of a global design and management organization with 24,000 employees worldwide. In 2005, AECOM featured prominently in the "Top 500 Design Firms" of Engineering News Record ranking first in transportation, sewer/waste, and general building, and third overall. Hubbel, Roth and Clark assisted with pump station design while Wade Trim, Inc. and Rowe Inc. assisted with surveying and layout of the project.

Phase 1 was completed in 2005 at a cost of $9 million. Phase 2 was awarded to Zito Construction in 2005 and work began that winter. Incorporated in 1969, Zito Construction is a family owned company with 45 employees specializing in road building, earth moving, sewers and watermains for municipalities and Michigan developers. Burial depths of the RCP ranged from twenty to thirty feet. High water tables were encountered through 70 percent of the project, presenting additional challenges for the Zito crew. When construction is completed on Phase 2 by winter 2006, over 18,072 feet of 72-inch diameter RCP will have been installed at a cost of $8.5 million.

Phase 3 has been awarded to D'Alessandro Contracting Group, located in Detroit. This phase will require the installation of two miles of 48-inch through 54-inch diameter RCP. Fifty-foot burial depths will require tunneling of a portion of this $7.5 million project. Construction will begin in the fall, 2006.

Phase 4 to be bid in the spring, 2007 will include the installation of five miles of 48-inch through 72-inch diameter RCP.

D'Agostini & Sons, Inc. is a family-owned business with 140 employees specializing in heavy construction, tunneling, sewers, watermains and emergency infrastructure repair, incorporated in 1967. When the project is completed by November 1, 2006, they will have installed over 12,408 feet of 21-inch diameter RCP. The fourth phase of the West Trunk will bid in the spring of 2007.

Superior joints, competitive prices, and the ability to provide on-time deliveries prompted Zito Construction, D'Alessandro Contracting Group and D'Agostini & Sons, Inc. to choose the Premarc Corporation of Durand, Michigan to supply the reinforced concrete pipe. A major concern was the assurance of a watertight joint for all pipe units to limit migration of fine soil. Storm water inflow and groundwater infiltration had added to the sanitary flows that exceeded the capacities of these interceptors. By using diamond-tipped grinding wheels, Premarc produces exact dimensional tolerances during the manufacturing of the gasket-seating surface, ensuring dimensional control over the pipe joint. The Premarc Corporation is the only manufacturer in Michigan to grind all of its pipe joints for sanitary installation, thereby ensuring a watertight joint. Construction crews are able to accurately install gaskets and home the pipe.

Premarc worked with engineers of the Genesee County Drain office to ensure Phase 3 concrete pipe of the West Trunk was installed according to ASTM C-1479. This involved changing the backfill specification from an open-graded aggregate material, which allowed soil migration and perhaps shifting and movement of the pipe, to a Class 2 sand backfill. This change ensured that the pipe would last well beyond the design life of the project.

To solve the problem of capacity in the existing sewers of Genesee County required innovative project funding and products that would meet the expectations of a life cycle cost analysis. Both the Northeast and West Trunk Relief Sewers are being constructed within the model of long-term planning for service and maintenance. Taxpayers, both new and established will benefit from the return on investment enabled by the CCIF and concrete pipe.

Project:	Genesee County Northeast and West Trunk Relief Sewers

Owner:	Genesee County Drain Commissioner

Designers:	Consoer, Townsend, Evirodyne Engineers, Inc. Flint, MI Wilcox Engineering Lansing, MI

Contractors:	Zito Construction Co. Grand Blanc, MI D'Agostini & Sons, Inc. Detroit, MI D'Alessandro Contracting Group Detroit, MI

Quantities:	13,080 feet of 72-inch diameter Class IV RCP 4,992 feet of 72-inch diameter Class V RCP 376 feet of 12-inch diameter Class IV RCP 12,408 feet of 21-inch diameter Class IV RCP 1,064 feet of 24-inch diameter Class III RCP 23 (48-inch diameter) manholes 10 (60-inch diameter) manholes

Producer:	Premarc Corporation Durand, Michigan Robin M. Wolf, Director of Marketing

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