Water Consumption Continues to Decline, Rate Increases Predicted

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department reports that water consumption in 2008 fell 12%, or about 16 billion gallons. From 2007, water consumption has dropped 15%, or 23 billion gallons.

Due to DWSD's significant fixed costs, including bond debt and other fixed operating costs, a significant decline in water consumption (revenue) will mean that rates for next year are bound to increase even more than usual.

And as we reported last December, a decrease in water revenues may contribute to further delays in court-ordered improvements to DWSD's system. Earlier this year, DWSD canceled two major tunnel contracts -- the Upper Rouge Tunnel and the Detroit River Outfall (DRO) Contract No. 2 -- worth over $600 million on grounds that they were too costly. Many other projects, which were slated for bidding earlier this year have been delayed.

DWSD Cancels Upper Rouge Tunnel Contract

The Detroit Free Press (here) and Environment News Service Newswire (here) report that on May 29, 2009, the City of Detroit (DWSD) canceled the contract for the Upper Rouge Tunnel CSO project.

"The tunnel was designed to be 30 feet in diameter. It would have run parallel the Rouge River, mostly under park space, 160 feet below ground from Pembroke Avenue and Berg to Warren Avenue and West Outer Drive. The tunnel was intended to cut the frequency of overflow events from about 50 a year to fewer than one a year, reducing the overflow from an average of 1.3 billion gallons to 250 million gallons annually." (ENS)

This story was also reported here by Water and Wastes Digest.

Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel Project Stalls

TunnelTalk reports here in an April, 2009 article that funding woes have stalled the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel project.

Upper Rouge CSO (North) Tunnel, Bids Canceled

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has canceled plans to bid the Upper Rouge CSO (North) Tunnel (PC-763). Addendum No. 5, dated February 23, 2009, but received yesterday by plan holders, advised bidders that DWSD was not going to be taking bids on the project at this time. There was no official explanation offered by DWSD for cancellation of the North Tunnel.

Work will continue, however, on the Upper Rouge CSO (South) Tunnel (PC-764), which was awarded to Kenny/Obayashi, JV in September (reported here).

The Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel project is a requirement of the Department's NPDES Permit, and is subject the Second Amended Consent Decree in the EPA Litigation.

[Update: On March 18, 2009, McGraw Hill Dodge Reports indicated that this project was on hold until 2014. ]

Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel Design Issues Outlined in Recent Presentation

The Michigan Water Environment Association (MWEA) has posted a presentation made earlier this year by Mirza Rabbaig (DWSD) and Bob Barbour (Jacobs Engineering), which outlines some of the many design issues and geotechnical challenges involved in the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel project.

Publish at Scribd

As reported here and here, the South Tunnel (PC-764) was bid in April and approved in September, 2008. The North Tunnel (PC-764) is bidding on February 12, 2009, as noted here.

Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel (North) Bid Date Extended

The bid date for the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel (North) (PC-763) has been extended to Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. from December 18th. This is second of half of the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel.

The Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel (South) (PC-764) was bid on April 24, 2008, as noted here. A low bid of $316,170,200 was submitted by Kenny Construction/Obayashi, JV. The contract for the South Tunnel (PC-764), was approved by the Detroit City Council on September 25, 2008, as reported here.

For more information about the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel project read here. For specific information about PC-763 (South Tunnel), read here.