Last week the New York Times reported that a significant water line bursts on average every two minutes somewhere in the U.S, and that thousands of water and sewer systems may be too old to function properly, according to state and federal studies.
A few years ago, Tampa decided it was time to do something about its aging pipelines. If you've driven anywhere in the city over the past half year, you have no doubt observed the massive infrastructure correction going on, and Ybor City has been very much at the forefront. Currently, the city has three major water pipeline projects in progress costing over $42 million. Over half of that — $22.5 million — is being charged to builders and developers, with the remaining amount ($19.7 million) paid by city taxpayers through the water utility rate increase approved in 2007.
As a resident of Ybor, north of the Allen Temple AME Church on the western edge of the district, I've been watching the construction of just such a pipeline right in front of my 1920s bungalow — since early December.
Being aware of the nation's dire infrastructure problems, I applaud the fact that the city is installing new pipes and hiring a private contractor, Colorado-based CH2MHill, to do the job.
But really, folks, it's nearly April. This takes over four months? A tad anxious, I recently spoke with India Williams, a spokesperson with C2HMHill, to ask about the process. Her response? Each section of a project varies greatly in duration, she told me, based on utility relocation, construction method, size of the pipe, etc, etc.
But the killer line was this: "In some areas, construction in a three-block area can go as quickly as three weeks. In other areas, it can go for several months." Again, I ask you: four months? I'm the last guy that wants to enter into class warfare here, but forgive me if I'm beginning to believe that other parts of the city don't have to endure the pleasure of watching their pipes changed with such deliberate precision.
But hey, you might be saying, we've all got problems. So I've had a heap of dirt just yards away from my front porch since Thanksgiving. Big deal! I agree with you on that. But as a subscriber to four daily newspapers, let's just say I can relate to St. Petersburg citizens who lust for regular curbside recycling.
For whatever reason, the local recycling guy in my neck of the woods on Thursday mornings refuses to drive over the makeshift road near my house created by CH2MHill to allow for access to 12th Avenue.
That's resulted in me becoming a regular pen pal with the customer service page at the Tampa recycling division's website. And Mayor Iorio, those folks deserve a raise for their immediate responses to my nearly weekly pleas for the recycling guy to come back and actually pick up the contents from my blue bin, or replace the one that was somehow stolen when I put it in front of the makeshift road that the dude doesn't like to travel over.
Oh, that's right, the city's about to cut $27 million from the budget, which means human beings. Forget the raises. But you know what I mean.
An official with C2HMHill insists the construction in front of my home will be completed by April 2.
You can mark me down as skeptical.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2010.