NASTT turns 25 in 2015! What was happening 25 years ago?
On October 11, 1990, Octavio Paz won Nobel Prize for literature.
On October 14, 1990, SF 49er Joe Montana passed for six touchdowns vs Atlanta (45-35).
On October 17, 1990, Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong dropped out of school to pursue a career in music.
Check in every Friday in 2015 when NASTT posts more facts about 25 years ago…
By Erin Boudreaux, marketing manager, Hobas Pipe USA
In the United States an irrigation district is a cooperative, self-governing public corporation set up as a subdivision of the State government, with definite geographic boundaries, organized and having taxing power to obtain and distribute water for irrigation of lands within the district. It is created under the authority of a State legislature with the consent of a designated fraction of the landowners or citizens. Washington State Water Resources Association (WSWRA) is the coordinating agency for the irrigation districts in Washington State. It includes 35 irrigation district members covering 1.1 million irrigated agricultural acres. 
Naches-Selah Irrigation District (NSID) encompassing 11,000 acres located in north Yakima County, Wash. It is near the towns of Naches and Selah and it serves over 1,700 landowners. The Naches River is a tributary of the Yakima River in central Washington and it is about 75 miles long. After the convergence of the Little Naches and Bumping River the name becomes the Naches River. The Naches and its tributaries drain a portion of the eastern side of the Cascade Range, east of Mount Rainier and northeast of Mount Adams. In terms of discharge, the Naches River is the largest tributary of the Yakima River.
Selah Valley Canal (NSID’s Main Canal) was put into operation in 1892. As with many older systems, replacement was required as the facilities had passed their useful life and continued maintenance and repairs could not guarantee reliable operation. Also, the manually controlled canal system made it a challenge to operate. Selah Valley Canal includes 8,000 feet of wood flumes which are nine feet in diameter as well as concrete canals. Repairs up to this point have included approaches such as placing plywood sheeting over the leaking wood stave flumes. In other cases, where the flumes collapsed, the time required to fix them could be around two weeks. During the watering season, any disruption could be damaging to the crops.
The 2015 Main Canal Flume Replacement and Other Canal Improvements Project was the most recent phase toward the overall modernization and improvement plan. This project has a cost of around $7 million. Between 1910 to1956 the original materials installed in 1892 were improved to the existing wood and concrete facilities and this new phase is an improvement to them.
Replacement of the wood flume trestles was included in the 1995 Comprehensive Water Conservation Plan and again in the 2007 Modernization Plan. The amount of $9 million in capital improvements was completed during 2005 to 2014. “Improvements included canal lining, replacement of some wooden flumes, replacement of wood pipe and open canals with gravity pressurized pipe networks, modern pressurized farm deliveries and canal automation,” said Justin Harter, district manager, Naches-Selah Irrigation District.
The topography of NSID’s service area provides 200 to 300 feet of fall (available head pressure). Deliveries range from minimal pressure up to 40 to 90 PSI depending on the elevation difference from the canal that flows into the pipe networks. Over 3,000 acres have eliminated their need to pump resulting in a power cost savings.
The replacement of 4,600 feet of wood flumes was completed along with 2,800 feet of canal lined with concrete. The wood flumes were replaced with 3,600 feet of centrifugally cast, fiberglass-reinforced, polymer mortar (CCFRPM) pipe with the remaining footage converted into sections of concrete lined canal. The concrete canal sections include a polyethylene lining that is placed under the reinforced concrete that prevents leakage. Hobas Pipe USA supplied 96-inch diameter CCFRPM pipe with a stiffness class of 36 psi.
“A number of pipe materials were considered. Steel pipe required maintenance of coatings with potential to require coating replacement in 50 years or less to manage corrosion. Although higher in initial costs, non-ferrous pipes provide a lower overall cost with a longer lifespan and less maintenance. Hobas was one of the few pipes that could meet the project schedule and performance criteria,” said Harter. Hobas was not intentionally sole sourced, but the higher specification requirements limited competition.
Tapani, Inc. of Battle Ground, Wash., began construction in November 2014 and was finished before the April 1st season start. There is limited time between October and April when the canal is not flowing. “This project had a very tight schedule to meet in order to supply water to the local farms for the 2015 growing season,” said Aaron Halling, project manager, Tapani, Inc.
There were eight wood trestles from heights of five to 75 feet and draws of 20 to 500 feet wide. In this case, a trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. Many wooden roller coasters are built using design details similar to trestle bridges.
Other sections of wood flume were on grade, resting on existing soils that were leveled 80 or more years ago. “The 96-inch pipe was installed on grades as steep as 50+% and the existing access roads had to be widened in order to get the pipe to the place of installation. Access was limited and delivering to the further locations with off-road equipment took over a half hour per piece of pipe,” said Halling. 
Wood stave flume trestles were replaced with inverted siphons. The large inverted siphons are used to convey water being carried in canals or flumes across valleys for irrigation. With no pump, they are powered by the fall of the water as it flows down the pipe under the pull of gravity, and discharged at a level lower than the surface of where it originated.
The pipe provided to Tapani included factory assembled FWC couplings. Useful for direct bury applications, the FWC coupling is a structural filament wound sleeve overwrapped and mechanically locked to an internal full-face elastomeric membrane. “We faced challenges, but the project was still an overall success and the pipe performed well,” said Halling.
Hobas manufactures pipe in sizes from 18 inches to 126 inches in pressure and non-pressure classes. For more information, please contact Hobas at 800-856-7473, 281-821-2200 or e-mail at info@hobaspipe.com. Facts are also available at www.hobaspipe.com.
Geotechnical engineer and expert in trenchless technology for water and wastewater conveyance
Michelle has more than 18 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, with a particular emphasis on trenchless design and involvement in the water/wastewater industry. From a young age, Michelle enjoyed playing in the dirt, solving problems, and helping people. Today, she feels fortunate to have found a career where she can continue to do all three. She brings a passion for assisting the needs of her clients and their trenchless engineering challenges. Jacobs is excited to have her on the team!
Prior to joining Jacobs, Michelle was a senior geotechnical engineer specializing in trenchless design and construction with GeoEngineers and Staheli Trenchless Consultants. Her trenchless expertise includes horizontal directional drilling, microtunneling, pipejacking, auger-boring, pipe ramming, and pilot-tube microtunneling—just to name a few. In addition to her extensive project experience, she has been active in the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), is currently a member of the ASCE subcommittee on Trenchless Installation of Pipelines (TIPS), and is a regular presenter at national trenchless conferences.
Since joining Jacobs, Michelle has been assisting on projects across the nation. Some of the more noteworthy endeavors include:
Having spent most of her professional career in the Pacific Northwest, Michelle is thrilled to be able to expand her trenchless expertise to other regions. She finds it exciting to work with regional Jacobs offices that offer experience with local agencies and knowledge of local geology. Michelle is able to share her trenchless technology expertise (risks, benefits, and challenges of trenchless options) with Jacobs engineers across the nation, which ultimately provides clients and owners with the best combination of local knowledge and national experience.
For further information please contact:
Michelle Macauley – michelle.macauley@jacobs.com
(10/08/15) SAN FRANCISCO— Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, KB Home, Energy Inspectors Corporation, and 13 other winners as WaterSense Partners of the Year for creating, rebating, communicating and educating consumers about WaterSense labeled products, homes and programs.
EPA Region 9 is working with all levels of government, tribes, and NGOs to expand and scale-up improved and sustainable water management in response to the ongoing severe drought in the Pacific Southwest. This includes identifying tools to build long-term resiliency to future water supply shortfalls with key actions such as assisting water utilities identify and address losses from in their water distribution systems, advancing innovation in wastewater recycling, promoting stormwater capture for non-potable use and to replenish groundwater, and working with industry and consumers to conserve water through efficient fixtures and practices.
“EPA is proud to honor WaterSense partners for making a difference in drought-stricken communities,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Our WaterSense partners are helping build stronger, more resilient water systems to meet the challenges ahead.”
WaterSense announced the 2015 Sustained Excellence Award winners, Partners of the Year, and Excellence Award winners today at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. By working together, these water efficiency leaders and more than 1,700 other WaterSense partners have helped Americans save 1.1 trillion gallons of water and $21.7 billion in water and energy bills since 2006.
2015 WaterSense Partners of the Year:
KB Home, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., was recognized with a WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for its continued work building WaterSense labeled homes, for which it previously earned Builder Partner of the Year for four years. In addition to building nearly 100 WaterSense labeled homes in 2014, KB Home also constructed model homes in California featuring innovative water-efficient products, along with graywater recycling systems that provide water for toilet-flushing or landscape irrigation.
Energy Inspectors Corporation, located in Las Vegas, Nev., was recognized as the Licensed Certification Provider Partner of the Year for certifying 100 WaterSense labeled new homes in 2014 and its continued work with KB Home to build even more communities of WaterSense labeled homes. The company also kept its inspectors’ knowledge current through creation of an online training video on the WaterSense indoor and outdoor criteria for homes.
The Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership was recognized as the Professional Certifying Organization Partner of the Year for its Qualified Water Efficient Landscape (QWEL) professional certification program. In 2014, four more organizations adopted the QWEL program and 200 new irrigation professionals were certified. The partnership also updated and promoted a graywater training module.
The Municipal Water District of Orange County, located in Fountain Valley, Calif., was recognized with an Excellence Award for its Sprinkler Spruce-Up campaign as a platform to promote and educate costumers about WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controllers and the importance of “sprucing up” irrigation systems.
EPA’s WaterSense program protects the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water efficient products, new homes and services. In helping to preserve water resources, the important work of the WaterSense program supports the goals of EPA’s Clean Water Rule. And, because saving water also saves energy, the program supports EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which will help communities save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn more about the 2015 WaterSense award winners, including more information about the award winners in California and Nevada, at www.epa.gov/watersense.
NASTT turns 25 in 2015! What was happening 25 years ago?
On October 4, 1990, Fox TV’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” premiered.
On October 6, 1990, US 67th manned space mission STS 41 (Discovery 11) launches into orbit.
On October 9, 1990, Radio stations around world play “Imagine” honoring John Lennon. (October 9 would have been his 50th birthday)
Check in every Friday in 2015 when NASTT posts more facts about 25 years ago…
LAKE MILLS, Wisc.– Pipe bursting contractors now have 99 tons of pulling force for their 
sewer, water and gas line replacement jobs from the new, powerful, compact HydroBurst® 100XT static pipe bursting system from HammerHead Trenchless Equipment. Featuring tethered remote control, the streamlined 100XT pays out rod very quickly due to the pipe industry’s first automated rod spinning assembly and the unique design of its hydraulic cylinders.
Alan Goodman is national sales manager for HammerHead Trenchless Equipment ram and burst products. He says that the 100XT might be the only bursting machine some contractors ever need. The unit weighs just 3,200 pounds and is only 39 inches high by 30 inches wide.
“It has the muscle to replace pipes up to 16 inches in diameter,” Goodman said, “yet is compact enough they won’t mind using it for pipes as small as 4 inches.”
The pulling machine’s water-cooled PP4500 hydraulic powerpack with 72.7 hp Kubota engine pumps hydraulic fluid at up to 43.5 gpm and 4,500 psi. In 50-ton mode the unit directs all hydraulic fluid to just two of the cylinders, which then can move twice as fast as in 100-ton mode.
Although some jobs will require access to the machine’s 100-ton capacity, Goodman said, jobs that require 50 tons of pullback or less mean the actual pipe burst will also be done that much faster.
Pull rod used by the 100XT is the same lightweight 2.5-inch, API-threaded rods used by other models. The spinner assembly incorporated on its carriage is rated to 250 foot-pounds. The spinner allows rod to be fed from behind. As the unit is pushing during payout, rod can be added without stopping the machine. The result is that as the unit is pushing during payout, rod can be made up, or tightened, simultaneously.
Putting the 100XT operator on the surface with remote control frees up workspace in the pit for the rod handler, permits the best view for more efficient control of the operation and also enhances overall worksite safety. Lever-actuated controls on the puller itself facilitate initial training and orientation at the machine and provide redundant backup, ensuring job completion if for any reason the remote control cannot be used.
As static pipe bursting specialist for HammerHead Trenchless Equipment, Mark Maxwell helps to train operators on the machine. Maxwell said, “The new unit is so user-friendly and its operating manual so clear that the customer is comfortable using the remote after a little guided instruction from me.” Maxwell said D&D Sewer and Water, a contractor based in Canton, Michigan, who specializes in pipe bursting, was instrumental in the final design. “We asked D&D to rigorously and thoroughly test it in the field,” Maxwell said. “Basically, ‘Go beat this thing up.’ But it failed to fail.”
The HydroBurst 100XT is available from HammerHead Trenchless Equipment or from authorized dealers, worldwide. Authorized dealers can be found on the web at www.hammerheadtrenchless.com or by calling 800.331.6653. (International: + [1] 920.648.4848).