Engineering Support Services

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About DACA Environmental

GPS Survey Location Verification

Valve Exercising Programs

Collect Field Information For Pipeline Mapping

Verification of Existing Manhole Location and Conditions

Provide Equipment and Facilities For “Confined Space Entry”

Condition Photography

Utility Underground Location Verification

Benefits

Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey

Storm Drain Evaluation Survey

2 Engineering Support Services

Established in 1975, DACA Environmental is a premier South Florida based general engineering contracting firm specializing in the construction of water and wastewater treatment facilities and underground utility infrastructure.

It provides a full spectrum of engineering services with the resources needed to solve today’s environmental problems.

About DACA Environmental

DACA Environmental, Inc. 3



Valve Exercising Programs

DACA has teamed up with a surveying company to ensure that your projects are accurate and on time.

It is a systematic program to locate and exercise water valves to ensure that they function and operate properly.

American Water Works Association definition: “Each valve should be operated through a full cycle and returned to it’s normal position on a schedule that is designed to prevent a buildup of tuberculation or other deposits that could render the valve inoperable or prevent a tight shut-off.”

BenefitsValves are an integral part of the water distribution system and in the event of an emergency:• Valve locations will be known• Valves will operate correctly• Valves will be accessible• Quicker to shut down for emergencies• Reduce leak run time• Reduce loss of treated water• Reduce damage to infrastructure• Legal Benefits – fewer claims & legal defense

This, along with State-of-the-Art technologies in surveying systems available today, guarantee you will be getting the right information to make sure your projects are successful.


Problems• Locating the valves• Valves will be broken• Wrong valve will be operated• Cause dirty water• Disruption to residents

Step 1: Locate Valves• Find all visible valves• Valve ties• As-Built drawings• Water Main break reports• Use metal detector

Step 2: Exercise Valves• Locate Valve• Clean out valve box• Exercise the valve through one entire cycle• Record the information

Missing Valvesor No Records?• Valves paved over

• Review construction specifications for guidelines

for valve spacing• Start at intersections

1, 2, 3 or 4• Raise valves to grade

• Record location

Step 3: Record Information• Most important step• Location – ties• Obtain information for records• Maintenance history• Helpful for future planning

Step 4: Valve Maintenance• Immediate Maintenance: – Replace cover – Install valve insert – Repair Asphalt• Scheduled Maintenance: – Replace valve nut – Replace valve packing – Repair valve box – Replace valve





Identification of mapping resources is often an overlooked part of a long-term sewer management program.

Evaluating a complex sewer network without some form of mapping almost always leads to confusion.

DACA is working with a leader in sewer audit data analysis using Desktop Mapping (DTM) systems.

The main focus of the DACA Environmental, Inc. application is to establish a “hot-link” from the field evaluation data gathered as part of the sewer audit to visually correct digital sewer maps. This approach allows collection system managers to rapidly and continuously maintains an understanding of the condition of their collection system.

An intricate part of this process requires creating a visually correct digital sewer map of the study area. The digital mapping will serve as the foundation for all reporting of problem areas discovered during the sewer evaluation project.



Manhole inspection is an important field task during a sewer system evaluation. Each manhole within the study area is located and collection system maps updated to provide an accurate inventory of the system.

The sewer lines entering and leaving the manhole are compared to existing maps and any corrections noted on the drawings. This map is used to reference recommended repairs in the final report and is key to all subsequent field investigation tasks.

Reports are prepared to establish each manhole’s condition and repair requirements. This mapping effort is performed in a Desktop Mapping (DTM) program called MapInfo for Windows. The DTM effort serves to add rapid data visualization to all data collected in the field.




DACA’s first step in preventing accidents is the recognition of the hazardous condition. Since accidents in confined spaces often occur because the atmosphere is oxygen-deficient, toxic or combustible, confined spaces that contain or have the potential to contain a serious atmospheric hazard should be classified as Permit-required confined spaces and should be tested prior to entry and continually monitored. DACA can provide you the assistance and the equipment needed to enter into a “Confined space” because we have the qualified personnel to do this type of entry.

1. Safety Training and Education• All DACA employees have been instructed and certified in “Confined-Space Entry”. Each one of them has an understanding of:

– Nature of the hazards involved – Necessary precautions to be taken – Use of protective equipment – Use of emergency equipment required

2. Permit Required - Confined Space Entry• Since these project take place in a space with a limited means of egress and is subject to the accumulation of toxic and flammable gases, and having an atmosphere with a deficient amount of oxygen, an entry permit is required

3. Entry Procedures• DACA follows all the recommended OSHA procedures, plus our own procedures.


• Confined Space Blowers• Manhole Safety Equipment• Confined Space Gas Monitor• Confined Space Entry Gear• Confined Space Rescue Equipment• Confined Space Tripod• Confined Space Winches• Confined Space Ventilation Blowers

• Confined Space Gas Monitor –Detector• Lifting Tripod• Confined Space Supplied Air System• Confined Space Safety Training Video• Confined Space Rescue Retrieval Equipment• Manhole Cover Lifter• Confined Space Communication Equipment






• Flow Monitoring• Flow Isolation• Smoke Testing

• Dye Water Testing• CCTV Inspection• Wet Weather Inspections

Flow Testing


Smoke Testing


CCTV


Dye Testing



Smoke Testing






• How often we see “existing 8” sanitary sewer line” “Location unknown (Filed Verify)” on building plans?• The amount of underground utilities lying beneath our feet has increased so much in the last few years posing a serious problem for ALL involved in construction today.• The major problem is the lack of accurate Record drawings (As Built) that are made available to engineers and designers.• Most underground locators identify with their equipment what is shown on the “As Built” of the utility company they are working for.

• The problem is that in the course of a project, we may run into pipe lines, water lines, gas lines or storm drains, to name a few, that are not in any “As Built” or they have not been identified by the locators on the field. This represents a Serious Hazard to those working on the field. • A One-Call system’s success often depends on how many utilities participate. Most states require participation by most or all major utilities.• While statistically, one may be more likely to be struck by lightening than die in a pipeline accident, the potential for large-scale fatalities from a pipeline explosion and others accidents are frightening and real.




• Saving you (the designer) and your clients’ money through avoiding unnecessary CO’s if a major conflict is encountered and or the abandonment of a project due to conflict• Allow your customers to sleep at night knowing they have a project under construction that has slight possibilities of conflicts• Protecting the environment by helping avoid harmful contamination leaks into the water table• Corporate Responsibility. Maintain corporate and social image acting as role model for others institutions to follow your foot steps

• Decrease potential insurance claims and legal conflicts• Meet regulatory agencies mandatory requirements.• DACA uses two methods to perform the “Flow Test”, manual and computerized. This records qualitative and quantitative data depending on the sensors specified. • DACA’s field crew has the hands-on training in the installation of flow meters in small and large pump stations.

Benefits


This is intended to locate and correct excessive infiltration into the sewer lines; which can cause sewer overflows leading to public health threats.

If the wastewater is not properly collected and transported to the treatment plants, the raw wastewater might end up into our canals, lakes or beaches.

Human contact with bodies of water contaminated with wastewater could cause illness.


The storm drainage system must be maintained by cleaning the catch basin and drainage piping to prevent that the flow of water carries pollutants and solids that may damage your soakage pit or French drain.

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Engineering Support Services