Updated 3/22
A contractor for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) broke a sewer line Monday on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven. The break happened during work on the Beach Road project.
“The contractor inadvertently damaged a sewer line while conducting excavation operations this morning for the ongoing sidewalk construction project,” MassDOT spokesperson Judith Reardon Riley emailed. Tisbury’s wastewater department completed the repairs, Reardon Riley wrote.
The incident drew several workers around a watery hole near the Ackee Tree Caribbean American Grocery on Beach Road, where sidewalk work had been underway. At one point a front-end loader, a vacuum truck, and an excavator with a telescopic boom surrounded the hole. An ambulance pushed its way up Beach Road at about 3 pm. The road was constricted to one way, due to the roadwork, and the excavator operator had to hustle to move the machine out of the way. The ambulance made it past the work area around the hole without much, if any, delay. Last summer ambulances were rerouted to avoid transit along Beach Road during construction.
In a follow-up email on Tuesday, MassDOT stated that no wastewater escaped or was vacuumed up.
“No sewage was discharged when the contractor inadvertently damaged a sewer line during yesterday’s excavating operations,” Reardon-Riley wrote. “The vacuum truck was used to remove groundwater from the hole to facilitate repairs to the pipe.”
In a second follow-up email, MassDOT amended its earlier response and stated wastewater did escape: “Approximately 5 gallons of sewage was discharged when the contractor inadvertently damaged a sewer line during yesterday’s excavating operations,” Reardon-Riley wrote. “Working with the town’s wastewater department, which has been extremely helpful throughout this project, all contaminants were contained and mitigated. The vacuum truck was primarily used to remove groundwater from the hole to facilitate repairs to the pipe.”
Updated to include new information.
A few days ago, i resisted the urge to comment about the “sewershow” –that was about to happen. But I will chime in now and let the contractors running these machines know that there is a FREE service provided by the state to avoid these kinds of accidents. For no charge, digsafe will mark where all underground utilities are. Any freaking idiot in charge of anything can simply call “dig safe”—– 888– dig safe– or, if they are so stupid that they can’t figure out what that means– 888 -344 7233. it’s actually required when excavating in questionable areas. How can the contractors be so negligent ?
Hi Don, dig safe does not mark out sewer lines, with that being said the contractor for this project meets almost everyday with myself or other Wastewater Department staff to review the work that is being performed that day and to plan for the following days work. If you walk down beach road you will see green paint (sewer utility) markings on the ground identify specific locations of sewer laterals and curb boxes. The work performed during the time of the brake was specific to replacing a known curb box. Unfortunately, due to age of the lines, the constant moving of ground water shifting the service connection the line did brake from a shovel. Thankfully it was between a check valve and the shut off greatly reducing the amount of waste escaping (approximately less than 5 gallons). The contractor has done everything requested in order to mitigate the concerns expressed by the Wastewater Department from the beginning. I hope this clears up any confusion and please contact the Wastewater Department if you have any more questions on this or any other future projects… Thanks again
Thank you for taking the time to clarify that , Jared. I was a bit harsh there– I apologize.
“Harsh” and ill informed. Nice to see a rare apology from you.
Yes, ill informed also..
I love your gracious and civilized apology, Don – perfect. I hope many notice it. We need this to be the norm.
Thank you, but no need to apologize. I just wanted to share information that most people don’t have unless directly involved and I thank you for the opportunity to let people know that our door is always open for questions. Most people don’t think about us until crap hits the fan (sorry about the wastewater joke…lol)
Jared–Despite what someone here said about the frequency of my apologies, I think it’s important to do that when you are wrong about something. A number of people here have directly apologized to me, and I have apologized to them– it’s all part of a civil debate. . We all get it wrong sometimes.
And by the way– if I may, I will point out to you, that in this situation, nothing hits a fan– it hits an impeller — 🙂
Respect–
Well stated Sir.
Very well explained, Jared – sounds very reasonable – and very tiny – hardly deserving the rather damning headline. The wrong sidewalk paving, the sharp dangerously high curbstones – that’s another matter.
I have lost count of Beach Road debacles in the last 12 months alone. Next?