ISELIN, NJ, June 2, 2015 -- Construction has officially begun on a project to upgrade critical water and sewer lines serving Liberty Island, the site of the Statue of Liberty, in New York City, N.Y.
The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority provides water and wastewater service to the island, which is operated by the National Park Service, and has retained Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM), a full-service consulting engineering firm, to design replacements for the existing water and sewer lines, which were undersized and are vulnerable to damage.
The new design includes the use of horizontal directional drilling to install separate 2,400-foot-long water and sewer lines through the bedrock of New York Harbor. Three thousand feet of water pipe and sewer force main will also be installed within Liberty State Park, using pipe-bursting techniques. Further, interruption of service would require closing the island, which receives more than 4 million visitors per year.
The project design is challenging due to the extremely limited construction area on Liberty Island. HMM performed eight geotechnical borings to determine the quality of bedrock, recommended the use of conductor casings on each end of the HDD crossings, designed temporary systems to maintain service during construction, obtained necessary permits, and coordinated with Liberty State Park and Liberty Island to maintain visitor access during construction.
See also:
"Hatch Mott MacDonald earns three major awards for exceptional efforts"
"Water, wastewater engineering firm acquired by Hatch Mott MacDonald"
About Hatch Mott MacDonald
Hatch Mott MacDonald is an award-winning full-service engineering firm that operates in North America. With roots that date back more than 100 years, Hatch Mott MacDonald has earned a reputation for technical excellence, innovation, and client responsiveness. We have a track record of major accomplishments in transportation, water, pipelines, environment, and infrastructure. HMM has 2,700 staff and 76 offices throughout North America. For more information, visit www.hatchmott.com.
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