Boston Common Stormwater Recharge System
In the construction industry, the Pacella name is synonymous with the water and sewer underground utility business in Massachusetts. From humble beginnings in the 1940s, the Pacella family became well known by DPW directors across New England, many of whom were just starting to understand the critical need to modernize and expand their water and sewer infrastructure systems to meet a growing population. Long before the Clean Water Act of 1972 ushered in the water and sewer industry as we know it today, the Pacella family complemented their utility installation projects throughout New England by manufacturing their own reinforced concrete pipes. Working closely with various government agencies, they realized that there were two major problems arising in their industry. First, most water and sewer projects were locally funded and there was no single standard for performing the work or any one set of safety regulations. Second, when contractors had a contract dispute or payment issues, their concerns and voices were not being heard. Basically each municipality had its own contract specifications and payments could be retained for any reason without any recourse for the contractor. In 1954, members of the Pacella family and a handful of other like-minded area underground contractors founded the Utility Contractors’ Association of New England, which allowed them to speak with a unified voice and forge resolutions to issues arising during their day-to-day operations. continued on page 26
JULY, 2015
“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”
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