Landau outlines pipe assessment

Longboat Key resident Lenny Landau informed Mayor Jack Duncan in an April 19 email he thinks any inspection of the town’s wastewater pipe needs to inspect the thickness of the pipe.

Landau also thinks the pipe’s top, bottom and sides, where’ it’s exposed out of the ground in Bradenton, should be inspected.

“If the landside inspections raise a concern, I wouldn’t go any further,” Landau wrote in an email. “If the landside inspections look very good, then I would proceed with underwater inspections. What the inspection would provide is confidence that there is no near term concern for a pipe failure due to its age, which could provide years/decades to optimize the backup/replacement plan.”

Landau said it would also give the town time “to dramatically reduce (saltwater) infiltration (into the town’s pipes), which appears to represent over 50% of the wastewater flow, thereby simplifying emergency planning in the event of a pipe leak.”

Town Manager Dave Bullock recommends replacing the two-mile long pipeline at an estimated $16 million price tag.

The town attempted two separate ultrasonic tests underwater in 2007 and failed to get a reading on the interior health of the pipe.

Commissioners also directed Bullock last month to come back with research for a future assessment of the existing pipe using sonar technologies that can detect the current condition of the existing pipe.

The decisions were made after Landau presented a saltwater intrusion presentation to the town and noted he’s done research on the pipe, which suggests the pipe’s life span may be longer than the town thinks.

Landau, an engineer, is convinced the pipe can be inspected properly.

“There’s no question the pipe needs to be replaced eventually,” Landau told commissioners last month. “The only question is should we be in a hurry to do it now or get an assessment on just how urgent it is?”

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].