In January, Senator Charles Schumer tried to convince a federal agency to approve an application for funding from the City of Kingston, New York, to repair a wastewater treatment plant damaged by superstorm Sandy.
Kingston officials have applied for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Schumer visited the plant to show support.
The city is finding itself in trouble because the original cost of the repairs was estimated at $1.9 million.
It now appears that the costs could be as high as $6 million, including the replacement of a complicated, damaged system of underground electrical cables.
Water Online reports,
“Schumer explained why the funding is needed.
“This project, and the additional funding is sorely needed to help prevent future damage from flooding and it is critical for making sure this city of 30,000 people has a facility that will remain viable in the long term,” he said, per a statement.
Schumer stressed the challenges that small cities face when it comes to funding infrastructure projects.
“Smaller cities like Kingston are under immense financial pressure, and they should not be left holding the bag for an additional $4 million. With work ready to get underway, I am urging FEMA to cover the additional costs and get this project moving forward. I do not want to see this project get stuck in endless bureaucracy.”
The funding is crucial, but due to the under-estimate in the first instance, it may be difficult for Kingston to secure the amount it needs to fully repair this piece of crucial infrastructure.
Inframanage.com observes that after large natural event emergencies there is huge pressure to get damage estimates completed as soon as possible and out to management, local governance, insurers, media, and federal authorities.
As professionals working in utilities well know, often the damage estimates are based on initial, or sketchy/incomplete information, and will often be preliminary engineers’ estimates only.
As the Kingston example shows where the further damage that wasn’t allowed for becomes known, these initial estimates can be a long way off final costs – in Kingston’s case, the initial estimate was one-third of the final estimate.
Infrastructure asset management practices such as having a complete and accurate asset inventory, with up to date asset valuations, and realistic replacement costs based on recent contracts and construction works can certainly help minimize the problem that the Kingston example highlights.
However, even with good quality base information there will always be risks around estimates that are produced following emergency situations – estimates produced in a hurry, and without complete information.
The issue highlighted by the Kingston example is one to be aware of and manage as part of your infrastructure risk management practice.
PHOTO CREDIT: City of Kingston website screenshot
[…] of these observations are involved in good infrastructure management practice as we develop and implement longer horizon infrastructure asset management plans with consideration […]