Village of Bensenville

White Pines Subdivision Water Main Rehabilitation

New Water Main to Eliminate Emergency Breaks​

The White Pines Water Main project upgraded a deteriorating water distribution system within an unincorporated subdivision adjacent to the Village of Bensenville. The existing system had served this part of the community through mains and sometimes lead services that were installed with the subdivision over 60 years ago and had fed the homes through their backyards.

Click on image to view large.

Click on image to view large.

A Large Project with Many Components

The project replaced over 15,000 feet of water main with 240 plus individual water service installations in this very large neighborhood. The new water main was placed under the streets for better access. All new services to the homes were required as well. Some existing services were found to be lead pipes which required replacement inside the residences. Civiltech worked closely with the residents and the Village to coordinate the installation within each home throughout the subdivision.

IEPA Funding

Bensenville secured two IEPA loans as part of the project funding. Civiltech’s Construction Engineering Team and the general contractor worked to meet all of the strict and detailed requirements of the loans including documenting each replacement of a lead service. The ultimate goal of the IEPA funding was to ensure clean water was supplied to the residents of the White Pines Subdivision.

Click on image to view large.

Click on image to view large.

Critical Construction Management

The project greatly impacted each residence with the existing services in back yards and lead piping that required replacement, including some inside of the private homes. Over 150 temporary construction easements had to be obtained in order to work in the private backyards. The Civiltech Team communicated with each individual household regarding the impact they could expect from the construction and coordinated the scheduling of that work which often involved actually entering the households. This was achieved by hands-on, door-to-door communication between the Civiltech Resident Engineer together with general contractor staff and the residents. The team successfully managed the scheduling of the work on each property resulting in the overall project being completed on schedule.

Old and Fragile Existing Infrastructure

One prominent adverse condition was the fragility of the old, existing water main. Normal construction activities such as digging near the old existing main or performing a standard water shutdown could cause a main to break. This fragility was taken into consideration when scheduling and planning the course of work until the old system was completely disconnected.

Click on image to view large.

Click on image to view large.

Finding Efficiencies

Installing new water service from the street to 240 plus individual houses involved extensive trenching as well as the need to repair the property at the trench locations and replace landscaping or any other element disturbed by the work. To mitigate this construction impact, over 300 feet of new main was bored underground, and excavation was limited to new service hook up locations and existing service removal. This approach created an efficiency and savings as it avoided the need to replace and repair hundreds of front yards.

Additional Construction Site Safety Concerns

In addition to a normal jobsite safety program, the Team was faced with maintaining jobsite safety on individual private properties – usually in backyards. This involved digging out the existing water service connection locations, trenching to remove existing piping, and removing and replacing residential yard structures such as decks, playsets, etc. It was critical that the contractors secured construction activity sites daily. This included filling in any holes or trenches and installing construction fencing where needed. The team worked to ensure that any impacts to individual residential lots were continuously secure and safe.

Click on image to view large.

Click on image to view large.

Delivering Safe and Reliable Drinking Water

Civiltech’s Phase III Construction Engineering Services included full inspection, layout verification, and project documentation following both Village and IEPA requirements. Through coordination at multiple progress meetings and our expertise with intricate water main work, our Team ensured a successful water main installation that now provides the neighborhood with safe and reliable drinking water.

Funding:

IEPA
Local

This Project Incorporates the Following:

  • Water main replacement
  • Temporary construction easements
  • Lead piping replacement
  • Coordination with individual residences
  • IEPA funding requirements

Scope of Services

  • Resident Engineering
  • Construction Inspection
  • Construction Documentation
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Public Involvement
  • Utility Coordination

Learn more about this project
and its related services.

Contact Jim Ewers