Bay Village outlines multi-pronged sewer and flood mitigation projects; rehab costs rise in review

Bay Village officials provided a progress update on a coordinated set of sewer and flood‑mitigation projects at the May 5 committee meeting and asked council to approve advertising three related bids.

Jeff Filarski, the consultant who presented the update, said the Long Beach Force Main rehabilitation is complete and restoration work remains. Filarski described two planned projects that will target sewer mains and catch‑basin laterals based on nine months of internal-video testing performed by Duke’s crew control: a city sewer‑main rehabilitation project (aimed to go to bid this month) and a separate catch‑basin repair program.

Filarski told council that an early order‑of‑magnitude estimate for the city‑side rehabilitation was about $750,000, but a detailed review of video and test results increased the estimated cost to “about 1,300,000” for the city work. He said the earlier estimate for catch‑basin related repairs had been about $500,000 but that final costs for those repairs were not yet available. Filarski and council asked the body to consider additional funding to complete the rehabilitation in a single campaign.

Filarski also reviewed two consent‑decree/SSO (sanitary‑sewer overflow) elimination projects. The Lake Douglas sewer replacement project is being coordinated with contractor Breezy Trucking and Paving; concrete manholes and structures were on order and Filarski said crews would begin work on Lake Road “starting at Glen Park and… working to the west” when parts arrived in roughly three to four weeks. That project includes water‑main work on Douglas that Filarski said would be funded by the suburban water authority for that section and a new concrete pavement replacement where work occurs.

The largest project discussed is the equalization (EQ) tank. Filarski said “pretty much all the pipe is in the ground of the tank itself” and crews were performing thermal welding on joints inside the tank. He described a pressure test using a large rubber bladder — “a big 10‑foot diameter” device — that will be used to test each welded joint before backfilling. Filarski said regulator structures will be set on the south end near Wolf Road, that a 24‑inch sanitary sewer will be rerouted into the structure, and that some under‑road tunneling will be performed to reduce surface disruption near school traffic.

On East Oakland and Clay and the Wolf/Clay intersection Filarski said crews encountered unrecorded utilities (electrical ducts and an abandoned water main) that required moving a sewer run about eight feet, increasing cost modestly and creating short, temporary traffic lane shifts during construction. Filarski warned that the Wolf/Clay intersection work will cause brief traffic disruptions but “only for a few days” during the most intrusive paving work.

Filarski summarized a drainage study for Huntington Woods: the recommended plan would install an approximate 24‑inch relief storm sewer along Huntington Woods that would tie to an upsized 60‑inch relief sewer at Bradley (replacing an existing 42‑inch main) to route additional flow to the lake. Filarski said the plan was engineered to the 25‑year storm standard; staff expects to have cost estimates by July and noted right‑of‑way review may affect schedule and cost.

Council subsequently authorized Chagrin Valley Engineering agreements for project services and approved motions to advertise bids for the sanitary‑sewer rehabilitation and catch‑basin projects; council later adopted an ordinance awarding a contract for partial‑depth pavement repairs on several streets and approved other project authorizations on the evening agenda. Filarski and staff said they will return as work progresses and reiterated that the projects are intended to bring the system into compliance and reduce future flooding and infiltration risks.

Decisions and next steps taken at the May 5 meeting included formal authorization of consultant agreements and a motion to advertise for bids; council members were told detailed final costs for some elements (catch basins, Huntington Woods final estimate) were pending.