2009 Spring (PDF) - Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association

Milwaukee
Sick Leave
Ordinance
Joining with other
contractor associations,
WUCA helped file a
friend of the court
brief in opposition to
the ordinance that
required sick leave
benefits when private
contractors worked in
the city of Milwaukee.
Over 30 groups filed
similar actions. On
February 6, 2009
Milwaukee County
Circuit Court Judge
Thomas Cooper issued
a preliminary injunction
against enforcement of
the ordinance.
A formal trial on the
topic is scheduled for
May 11, 2009.
WUCA Staff
Meets with
Milwaukee
DPW Official
WUCA staff met with City of
Milwaukee Commissioner of
Public Works Jeff Mantes
January 22, 2009 at his office to
discuss long term water & sewer
funding, apprenticeship issues,
and the possibility of partial
combined sewer separation
along waterways to reduce rain
water from entering the sanitary
sewer system. Partial separation
would be a way to employ central
city residents. WUCA staff also discussed with the commissioner water
main replacement in the city due to the high number of water main
breaks that occur each year. In Milwaukee those water main breaks
total nearly 1,000 each winter and are expected to increase as the water
infrastructure continues to age.
According to studies done by the Ontario Sewer and Watermain
Construction Association…” the thawing and freezing that take place
play havoc with the older water mains still in use. In older
municipalities, parts of water systems date back to the nineteenth
century. And in many municipalities, those underground water pipes
may leak for years. Many drinking water distribution systems have
leakage rates ranging from 10 to 30 percent. As well, a broken or
leaking water main could compromise fire-fighting operations, with
tragic consequences. The majority of water main breaks occur at night.
Pipes are at their maximum pressure in the early hours of the morning
due to reduced water demand, and a brittle pipe is more likely to break
or leak when under higher pressure. The cost to repair a burst water
main far exceeds what it would have cost to properly maintain it.
Emergency repairs for a moderate break occurring in a 10-inch
diameter pipe costs between $30,000 and $50,000. The cost of a major
sinkhole may exceed $1 million.”
For two decades or more, WUCA staff has encouraged the city to
maintain a sustained program of funding water main repair and
replacement.
Jeff Mantes
We appreciate that Mr. Mantes heard our comments.
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