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It's pipe, it's not that difficult. But when you're talking about aging infrastructure, a changing workforce, rising costs, and the need to get more done with less, there's a lot more to pipe installation than digging a trench.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Shane, Neil, and Stephanie sit down with Josh Drummond, Operations Manager at King County Water District #90, to talk about what it really takes to build, replace, and maintain our water infrastructure.

Josh shares his journey from growing up in the field to rebuilding infrastructure in Christchurch, New Zealand, and eventually working in the water industry here in Washington. The conversation gets into aging water mains, the true cost of replacement, efficiency in the field, accountability, ownership, and where the next generation of construction workers is coming from. 

What happens when we start looking at infrastructure differently? Can we replace aging systems faster, with less disruption and at a lower cost? And where are the people who are going to do the work?

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Neil and Shane talk about what's broken in the low bid process and some of the ways a contractor who wins the low bid can survive the project financially.

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Looking beyond the drawings to identify site constraints, constructability issues, additions, and other opportunities before they become field problems is always a good idea.

In this episode, Neil and Shane dig into a Site Analysis report and what happens next probably won't surprise you.  

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Neil and Shane explore why a project may not be constructible, where the extra costs come from, and when to get a consultant involved.

ASK THE DIRT

Welcome to The Dirt with Alpine Civil Consulting—the podcast where civil construction gets real. Hosted by Neil Tastad and Shane Crosby, we dig beneath the surface of the projects that shape our communities, sharing stories from the field, lessons learned the hard way, and conversations about everything from utilities and earthwork to design-build, leadership, and the unknowns that can make or break a job.

In this trailer episode, meet your hosts and get a preview of what’s ahead. Whether you’re a contractor, engineer, developer, municipality, or simply curious about what really happens before the buildings go up, this podcast is for you.

Because every great project starts in the dirt.