Members
Speak Out
New York City
Steam Explosion:
Yesterday’s news?
David W. Wade, PE, President, RDA Engineering Inc.
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 dww@rdaeng.com – 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.
We must not forget the image
the public has of district heating.
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:
1. 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.
2. 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 respon-der’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.
3. 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.
4. 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,
