[Mintwood-place] WASA and valve box issues

[Eddie Becker]

Like Jennifer, I am also a bit disappointed that the DC Water & Sewer Authority (WASA) has not yet
chosen to respond to this thread on how the contractor might have cemented over some Mintwood
water shut off valves and clogged lateral sewer lines with construction debris.  All of which has
cost and will cost the city plenty in the long run.  And Mintwood is just one of hundreds of City
projects – which are just burning away millions because City Agencies fail to coordinate with one
another, have little if any oversight over contractors, and fail to follow-up after problems are
discovered.  The point is to demand excellence in government, throughout the city.  Mintwood had
to deal with a stack of problems that just landed on our doorsteps.  But as the project moves over
to our neighbor’s street – we need to share what we found out, and follow-up on problems that make
sense to fix.  

But getting back to the WASA matter - there are no less then 6 WASA staff people subscribed to the
Mintwood list.  WASA has only to send out an inspector and provide a written report for this list
detailing, which house(s) have, no water shutoff valves and how it proposes to remedy the defect.
WASA employees subscribed to the list
Ted.Dyson at dcwasa.com
jodye.russell at dcwasa.com
Hung_Truong at dcwasa.com
EChiang_Lee at dcwasa.com
Cuthbert_Braveboy at dcwasa.com
emorton at dcwasa.com


--- Jennifer Bradley <jenbradley at mindspring.com> wrote:
> From: "Jennifer Bradley" <jenbradley at mindspring.com>
> To: <mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org>
> Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2003 16:07:49 -0400
> Subject: [Mintwood-place] WASA and valve box issues
> 
> Hi,
> Will the WASA research on the valve boxes and the removal of the concrete
> covering the valve boxes be complete by the end of October?
> 
> What is the status of the research requested by Eddie Becker last week,
> about where the valve boxes actually are?  Do I need to call WASA about my
> individual valve box?  How can we make sure that the contractors will
> correct any problems that they might have caused by covering the valve boxes
> (e.g. unpaving and re-paving).
> I am eager to get this resolved, but don't want to duplicate efforts.
> Karyn, can you advise me on how to go forward?
> 
> Jennifer Bradley (1850)
---------------------------------------------------------- 
Jennifer Bradley <jenbradley at mindspring.com> wrote:
> From: "Jennifer Bradley" <jenbradley at mindspring.com>
> To: <mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org>
> Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2003 16:07:49 -0400
> Subject: [Mintwood-place] WASA and valve box issues
> 
> Hi,
> Will the WASA research on the valve boxes and the removal of the concrete
> covering the valve boxes be complete by the end of October?
> 
> What is the status of the research requested by Eddie Becker last week,
> about where the valve boxes actually are?  Do I need to call WASA about my
> individual valve box?  How can we make sure that the contractors will
> correct any problems that they might have caused by covering the valve boxes
> (e.g. unpaving and re-paving).
> 
> I am eager to get this resolved, but don't want to duplicate efforts.
> 
> Karyn, can you advise me on how to go forward?
> 
> Jennifer Bradley (1850)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Jennifer Bradley <jenbradley at mindspring.com> wrote:
> From: "Jennifer Bradley" <jenbradley at mindspring.com>
> To: "Eddie Becker" <eddie_becker at yahoo.com>,
> 	<Dan.Tangherlini at dc.gov>,
> 	<karyn.good at dc.gov>
> CC: <mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org>
> Subject: more details on the water shut off
> Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 20:56:24 -0400
> 
> The WASA contractors, United Metering, searched for the valve box, which
> would have allowed the water to be shut off only at 1850 Mintwood, for 2
> hours.  They phoned WASA, and were given the location of the valve box,
> which was under concrete on the sidewalk.
> 
> John, the foreman, and Adesh, from DDOT, said that the valve box could not
> have been paved over because they examined the sidewalk before the repaving
> with Bob (Bill?) White, a WASA inspector.  So, WASA is of two minds about
> where the valve box is.
> 
> John the foreman, Karyn Good, Adesh, Eva at WASA, Mr. Dove at WASA, and Jeff
> Jennings of Jim Graham's office were responsive about fixing this problem.
> But it is upsetting that it took 4 hours (from the time the United Metering
> contractors determined that the valve box was paved over to the time that
> the water was, regrettably, turned off for the whole street) to fix.  It is
> intolerable that the entire street was involuntarily drawn into this mess.
> 
> Rather than call WASA on Tuesday and ask to have my valve located and
> uncovered, I will wait for the report Eddie has requested, so as not to
> duplicate efforts.
> 
> I deeply regret the inconvenience (or worse) this must have caused my
> neighbors.
> 
> Jennifer Bradley
---------------------------------------------------------------
--- Eddie Becker <eddie_becker at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 16:22:04 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Eddie Becker <eddie_becker at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Mintwood-place] contractor-wasa problems and a basement flood
> To: Jennifer Bradley <jenbradley at mindspring.com>, Dan.Tangherlini at dc.gov,
>    karyn.good at dc.gov
> CC: mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org
> 
> It's 7:00 pm on Friday and the all water has been turned off on the block,   
in order to fix a  leak at 1850 Mintwood, during a water meter replacement!!! 
> Did WASA and the DDOT contractors, Lane Construction and Metro Paving, under the supervision of 
KCI engineering, cement over the water valve at 1850, and other buildings when they redid the
street and the sidewalk, or did they just fail to install them on some or most of the new
replacement water pipes?  
> Could WASA provide a written report to this list detailing which house have no water shutoff
valves and how it proposes to remedy the defect.  Thanks, Eddie Becker

--- Jennifer Bradley <jenbradley at mindspring.com> wrote:
> From: "Jennifer Bradley" <jenbradley at mindspring.com>
> To: <Dan.Tangherlini at dc.gov>, <karyn.good at dc.gov>
> Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 15:55:51 -0400
> CC: mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org
> Subject: [Mintwood-place] contractor-wasa problems and a basement flood
> 
> Dear Mr. Tangherlini and Ms. Good
> 
> As you know, WASA has been replacing water meters.  My meter was supposed to be replaced today. 
During installation, the installer created a pin-hole leak in the pipe.  In order to replace the 
pipe, the installer needed to cut the water off to my house at 1850 Mintwood Place.  
> 
> The installer was unable to do this because the DDOT contractors have paved over the access >
point that would allow water from the street to be cut off to my house.  Therefore, the only way 
to shut of water to my house is to shut it off for the entire street.  This was impossible because
the access point for the entire street is currently broken. 
> 
> So, now, at 4pm before a 3-day weekend, I have water coming into my basement.
> 
> John, the foreman, says that he did not see the valve box, and that WASA inspectors were with
him when he searched for the valve box.  He does not have the authority to tear up the sidewalk or
determine who will find the valve box.  The WASA contractor and WASA can't find it.  John  says
that it's not covered by concrete, and that he wouldn't have paved over it.  John says he will
call DDOT and Ted Dyson, and I am going to call as well.  John has been helpful in trying to help
me resolve this.  
> 
> I hope this can be resolved soon. 
> 
>