В штате Маккомб открыли новый наземный насосный станцию, посвященный памяти погибших в 1996 году

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Public works can be a dangerous field, and Macomb Township’s newest pump station is the result of hard-earned lessons in municipal infrastructure. Placed in the center of the township, the MA-01 Pressure Reducing Valve station connects the local water system to the Great Lakes Water Authority. Shown off during a limited open house on July 27, the station stabilizes water pressure throughout the township and improves upon the prior station with new equipment and its overall design. “We’ve upsized the pipe to allow the availability of more flow of water,” said Kevin Johnson, Macomb Township Department of Public Works director. “We added a meter on our side of the building to be able to verify the meter (reading provided by the GLWA) to make sure that we can provide accuracy and data for our bills.” Costing around $4.5 million to build, the valve station project came at a time when much of the original piping was nearing its end of life. The need for general upgrades opened the door for a massive safety overhaul of the site as well, which stems from a tragedy that took place at the original valve station. Four people — township employees Rochard Boettcher and Russel Rocker, along with Lawrence Spinks and David Kremhelmer of Weiss Construction Co. — died when a water main exploded and flooded the underground meter pit at the station on Jan. 31, 1996. “We dedicated the station to the memory of the workers whose lives were lost,” said Township Supervisor Frank Viviano. “We thought it was important to keep that piece of our history alive. It’s not something that would be readily apparent if anyone drives by this generic utility building …. but we just wanted to make sure future generations of Macomb Township DPW staff are aware of what happened on that site and why it meant something to us.” The new MA-01 station honors the memories of Boettcher, Rocker, Spinks and Kremhelmer, with the inside being adorned with a plaque recognizing the 1996 incident as well as the key that turned on the original station in 1979 and archived photos. But perhaps the most meaningful tribute to the four who died is where the station and its equipment are now located — above ground. “There hasn’t been a repeat of such an incident, thank God, since (1996), but the township’s long-term goal since then has been to get all pump stations out of the ground so that they’re safer,” Viviano said. “So, if there’s a catastrophic failure, there’s openings and places where the water can go rather than a pit that just fills up.” Along with moving the station above ground, Johnson says additional exit points have been added to allow workers a better chance of escaping should another catastrophic equipment failure occur. The MA-01 station not only represents an improved pump station with a dedication for worker safety, but is a model for additional above-ground stations — with two upgraded stations planned and one brand-new station being considered — over the next 20 years. Costs are expected to be around $4.5 million for each station, with adjustments for inflation when the time comes to build them. The current station’s equipment is expected to last for 30 years.