Ductile Iron Pipe Closeup

What’s Best Are Strong, Durable, & Long-Lasting Water Pipes for Our Communities

Apr 16, 2020
Kevin Hardiman
Water Finance & Management
We expect to see more homes, more businesses, more recreational and community facilities, and more public institutions over the next generation. All of that development will need access to quality roads and clean water.
The local newspaper for my town described us as having two seasons: winter and construction.
I’m sure my peers around the country can appreciate the joke. But the truth is, we do spend the time between periods in which we can carry out projects planning for the important infrastructure work that our communities need. In Tewksbury, Massachusetts, where I’m the town engineer, we’re focused on improving our water distribution systems and roadways. A large project I’m currently overseeing involves upsizing 8-in. pipes to 12-in. ductile iron pipes and then repaving a major thoroughfare.
Spring and summer in Massachusetts are beautiful seasons that try to make up for the brutal conditions we see over our winters. The frigid temperatures, snow, ice and freezing rain really do a number on our roads but repaving Route 38, which doubles as the town’s Main Street, can cause a lot of traffic inconveniences for our residents. Replacing pipes underneath that road can cause even greater disruption, which is why we planned to do the infrastructure work before the roadway construction. Anything we can do to minimize disruptions will go a long way toward community relations.
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