Can the industry mobilize fast enough to meet the Consent Order
deadlines???
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Grant Whittle
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Mar 31, 2004 10:03 PST
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I have a thought for the list...
Cincinnatti, Cleveland, and Allegheny County all have billion dollar plus
mandated programs within a relatively small region. There are several
other regions around the country in a similar situation. Are there enough
contractors and engineers to do all of the work in a timely fashion? What
can be done to ensure sufficent pipe rehabilitation construction and
engineering expertise to enable compliance with the Consent Orders?
5 years ago, when Nashville was only one of five programs of such scope
nationally, they had a hard time finding enough expertise to comply with
the time table of their Consent Order. Now their are nearly 20 programs of
such size and scope under development. Even if we figure out how to pay
for it, how can it all be done without supply & demand sending prices
through the roof? What can be done now to help ensure adequate industry
capacity -- fast enough? Most people are naively assuming that if the
money to do the work is there, somehow the industry capacity will magically
appear overnight. Even with backing from the financial markets it takes
time to train competent employees.
This could cause a rude awakening when cities can't comply with the
deadlines of their consent orders.
How are we working to solve this situation as an industry??? Are the
cities just going to be forced to dig the pipes up at higher cost and
greater community disruption, simply because that's what's available to
them???
regards,
Grant Whittle
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