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Consider the costs of updating your utility’s manholes
Below is a cost comparison of three ways to update your utility manholes for easier access and improved homeland security. Your actual costs will vary depending on the situation and the scope of the construction contract.
You will see from the totals below that the cost of machining the existing covers to include the Lift & Lock features is less that half of the other two alternatives. Once you decide to upgrade your utility manholes for easier access and more security, the best choice is clearly Lift & Lock. For purposes of this comparison, the cost for a city of 10,000 persons to upgrade all of its estimated 600 sanitary sewer manholes is given at the end of each total.
Keep in mind that with Lift & Lock, you can use the same pick and socket wrench to open all the manholes. Manhole cover removal and replacement becomes a relatively easy and fast one-person job.
Also remember that lifting heavy manhole covers is the major source of injury in the sewer maintenance industry. In 1996-1997, the cost of one permanent partial disability varied from $25,000 to $115,000, depending on the state. In Michigan, the figure was over $91,000. Since then, the costs have risen significantly.
In the first alternative, the manhole cover is machined to include the Lift & Lock manhole features and reused.
| Cover removal, delivery, pickup, replacement, and barricading |
= $ 40 / cover |
| Machining the cover |
= $ 139 / cover |
| Total per manhole |
= $179 / cover |
| Cost for 600 manholes |
= $107,400 |
| Cost per person in a community of 10,000 |
= $10.74 |
In the second alternative, the existing manhole frame and cover are removed and replaced with a new manhole frame and cover.
| Remove and replace the existing manhole frame and cover |
= $ 150 /frame & cover |
| Site restoration (grass, sidewalk, or pavement) |
= $ 30 to 230 each |
| New manhole frame and cover |
= $ 220 / frame & cover |
| Total per manhole |
= $ 400 to $600 each |
| Cost for 600 manholes |
= $240,000 to $360,000 |
| Cost per person in a community of 10,000 |
= $24 to $36 |
In the third alternative, a new lockable insert is placed under the existing cover.
| Purchase new manhole insert |
= $ 400 / insert |
| Order, receive & place the insert |
= $ 10 / insert |
| Total per manhole |
= $ 410 / insert |
| Cost for 600 manholes |
= $246,000 |
| Cost per person in a community of 10,000 |
= $24.60 |
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