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Members Speak Out
New York City Steam Explosion:
Yesterday’s news?
David W. Wade, PE
President, RDA Engineering Inc.
Fourth Quarter 2007, District
Energy Magazine
Editor’s Note: “Members Speak Out” runs in each
issue of District Energy magazine. Its purpose is for a member
to briefly share his/her district energy experiences and
opinions – and obtain feedback from fellow members. If you
have comments on this column, please email David Wade at the
address below – or email IDEA with your response for
publication in the next issue.
On July 18, 2007, an
underground steam pipe burst in midtown Manhattan, causing a
geyser of brown water, steam and debris, and creating
significant disruption for the surrounding community. One
person’s death was attributed to the occurrence along with
more than 30 personal injuries. National network news carried
video of the event both on the evening of the 18th and morning
of the 19th. The pictures were reminiscent of Sept. 11, 2001,
and many people related fears of terrorism.
Most newscasters and
reporters devoted the first paragraph or two of their articles
to describing the accident and the facts surrounding the
safety of the site. Unfortunately, many stories quickly turned
to discussions of aging city infrastructure, old water and
sewer pipes, and the need for government officials to take
action to replace and renew unseen dangers located under city
streets. Scores of experts were interviewed and quoted,
pointing out the age of piping, warning that other incidents
were imminent and stating that aging infrastructures were
enormous liabilities for America’s cities. I am sure other
industry professionals like me were amazed at the lack of
information and even incorrect information about district
heating systems that was reported by the news media.
Three weeks later, there was
little or no news about the incident or how New York‘s steam
system was back to normal operations. A brief mention of the
incident was made in August after the bridge collapse in
Minneapolis; that reference, however, was related to aging
infrastructure needs.
In the coming months,
industry experts will analyze the steam pipe failure and
determine a probable cause. System operators will redouble
efforts to prevent similar accidents and to eliminate any
areas where this type of failure may happen again. For the
general public, the image of the steam plume arising from
midtown Manhattan will become smaller and smaller in the
rearview mirror as time marches on.
As an industry, however, we
must not forget the image the public has of district heating:
steam billowing from the middle of a crowded intersection. We
must take the initiative to inform the public of district
heating benefits, provide correct information regarding
district heating and cooling technology, and communicate facts
about district energy system operation and safety.
Additionally, where appropriate, system owners must work
within their communities to modernize and upgrade facilities
to ensure reliable and safe service in the coming years.
Here are some actions we can
take:
- The industry, through
IDEA, should develop information packages suitable for the
general public and news media including the basics of
district heating and cooling, industry statistics and a list
of industry experts and/or spokespersons. A coordinated
system should be in place between IDEA and member systems to
refer news media quickly to a central location that can
provide factual industry information.
- Individual system
operators should make contact with local government
officials to educate them on local systems, ongoing
expansion and modernization plans, and day-to-day
operations. The New York event should be discussed and
compared to possible situations locally. A first responder’s
package should be prepared by system operators that provides
required information with regard to emergency contacts,
hazardous materials likely to be encountered, maps of local
steam mains, steam sources, etc. Now would be a good time to
renew contacts and affirm communications with city and
emergency organizations.
- On an industry basis,
through IDEA, we should consider safety and training
programs for system operations, response to emergencies, and
planning of maintenance and system upgrades. Due to the
publicity of the New York event, federal funds may be
available to assist in this safety and preparedness effort
industrywide.
- We should recognize that
some systems need renovation and upgrading. Now may be an
appropriate time to seek help in the form of planning
grants, low-interest loans or other financial assistance to
address modernization of systems, upgrade of safety features
and expansion of systems into new areas. Remember, other
city infrastructure components may receive grant money for
modernization, which in turn may require unplanned changes
to district utility systems.
Certainly the steam accident
in New York is a tragedy we would all like to avoid. Let’s
make that event a rally point for informing the public of
district energy’s benefits and a starting point for industry
efforts to make systems safer and more reliable in the future.
David W. Wade, PE,
is president of RDA Engineering Inc. in Atlanta and has been
an IDEA member for more than 20 years. He has served on IDEA’s
board and is a past chair of ASHRAE’s national technical
committees dealing with Building Steam and Hot Water Systems
and District Heating and Cooling. Wade may be reached at
dww@rdaeng.com.
Click below to view earlier
columns:
3rd Quarter 2007
2nd Quarter 2007
1st Quarter 2007
4th Quarter 2006
3rd Quarter 2006
2nd Quarter 2006
1st Quarter 2006
4th Quarter 2005
3rd Quarter 2005
2nd Quarter 2005 |
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