Case of the Month: Leaky Pipes

The case of the month involves the investigation of leaking inch, inch and a half, and two inch copper water mains and lateral lines in a community servicing approximately a thousand homes.   Beginning in April of the first year, a contractor replaced all the mains and laterals.   By May of the following year, water leaks developed at various angle meter stops, sometimes even breaking through the surface of the asphalt streets.   When we were assigned to examine the records and installation of the water system, including the joints used, and determine the cause of the leaks, the number of reported leaking connections was more than 200.    That is a lot of lost water for a city with a new water system.

Case of the Month: A Swimming Pool Diving Accident

The case of the month involves a typical back yard swimming pool.   It was an in-ground, plastered concrete, free-form shaped pool, measuring about 16 feet wide and 32 feet long.   It had the usual hardscape walkways around it, and it was properly fenced, properly maintained and properly cleaned.

This case involves a night-time bicycle rider, who while  crossing a street, was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by the wife of a police officer.   It was later alleged that there were improprieties in the way the collision was investigated, that a conspiracy existed between the investigating departments, and that there were attempts to cover up the fact that she had been drinking.   GEI was assigned to review the case.

Case of the Month: The Fuel Tank Repair

The case of the month involves a fuel tank located in a petroleum distribution terminal in a very remote area.  The tank was 48 feet high and 65 feet in diameter, with a gross capacity of over 28 thousand barrels.  Normally it was filled with premium unleaded gasoline.  It was constructed by welding 5/16 inch thick, 8 feet wide by 24 feet long steel plates together, in 6 horizontal courses. The tank was over thirty years old and had seen its share of bad weather.  Corrosion and pitting were proportionate to the tank’s age.  The last typhoon it experienced damaged the tank, which required repairs.